THG  COrRPHSS 


MAR  13  1918 


BR  125  .niU    19^8 
Mcllvaine,  Edwin  L.  187J 

1962. 
The  compass 


Vy  I  ID  I 


M 


(A 


THE  COMPASS 


By 
Edwin  L.  McIlvaine 


^ 


Libr  o-f  rel}V.-Hlnou<lTr. 


'5^- 


^ARTIetVSRITATpfj 


BOSTON:  THE   GORHAM    PRESS 
TORON'IO:  THE  COPP'CLARK  CO.,  LIMmJD 


Copyright  1918,  by  Edwin  L.  Mcllvaine 
All  Rights  Reserved 


Made  in  the  United  States  oj  America 
The  Gorham  Press,  Boston,  U.  S.  A. 


TO    THE   MEMORY    OF 

JAMES  DAVID   MOFFAT 

Teacher,  Preacher,  Master-Christian 

this  volume  is 

Affectionately  Dedicated 


FOREWORD 

A  S  the  years  roll  on,  and  the  experience  of  life 
^^  broadens  and  deepens,  it  is  very  natural  that 
certain  truths  and  principles  of  life  should  come  to 
appeal  with  peculiar  power  to  the  man  who  thinks. 
The  same  truths  will  not  appeal  to  all.  Each  will 
have  his  own  peculiar  choice,  determined  in  large 
part  by  the  temperament  of  the  individual,  the 
home  influences  to  which  he  has  been  subjected, 
and  the  educational  bent  which  he  has  received. 

In  the  pages  which  follow,  the  author  has  striven 
to  set  down  in  a  clear  and  helpful  fashion  a  few  of 
the  great  truths  of  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ 
which  have  had  peculiar  value  to  him,  and  which 
he  has  seen  prove  themselves  of  great  practical 
value  in  the  lives  of  many  others  during  the 
past  twenty  or  more  years.  It  is  in  the  hope 
that  these  truths  may,  through  this  means,  reach 
a  much  wider  audience  and  bring  to  many  others 
a  measure  of  added  comfort,  inspiration,  and 
strength  of  noble  manhood  and  womanhood,  that 
they  are  now  offered  to  the  world  that  reads  and 
thinks. 


CONTENTS 

I  The  Compass 1 1 

II  Light  Versus  Darkness 24 

III  CrystalUzation  of  Character 38 

IV  The  Sure  Foundation 53 

V  The  Man  Beside  Himself 68 

VI  Christ  Our  Example 81 

VII  Mountain  Heights  and  Visions 93 

VIII  The  Joy  of  Joys 105 

IX  The  Christmas  Star 118 

X  Easter  Joy 124 


THE  COMPASS 


The  Compass 

'^Finally,  Brethren,  whatsoever  things  are  true,  what- 
soever things  are  honest,  whatsoever  things  are  just,  what- 
soever things  are  pure,  whatsoever  things  are  lovely,  zvhat- 
soever  things  are  of  good  report;  if  there  be  any  virtue,  and 
if  there  be  any  praise,  think  on  these  things. " 

(saint  PAUL,  Philippians  4:8). 

T  N  the  days  of  old,  when  the  mariner  started 
upon  his  voyage,  he  sought  his  compass  in  the 
skies.  Standing,  at  morning,  face  to  face  with 
the  rising  king  of  day,  he  knew  that  behind  him 
was  the  west,  at  his  right  hand  the  south,  and  at 
his  left  hand  the  north.  Thus  was  he  enabled  to 
determine  his  course  for  the  day,  and  to  hold  to  it 
without  wandering.  When  the  night  hour  came 
he  fixed  his  gaze  upon  steadfast  Polaris,  the  star 
of  the  north,  and  though  darkness  was  upon  the 
face  of  the  waters,  continued,  straight  as  an  arrow 
from  the  bow  string,  toward  the  haven  of  his 
hopes.  In  these  later  days,  with  eye  fixed  upon 
the   compass   upon   his  own   deck,   whose   magic 

II 


12  THE  COMPASS 

needle  points  ever  northward  towardjthe  stead- 
fast star,  he  pursues  his  unfailing  course,  though 
waves  may  beat  and  storms  may  roar,  across  the 
pathless  waters.  But  the  compass  must  be  be- 
fore. If  he  find  it  in  the  skies,  or  in  the  magic 
needle  upon  his  own  deck,  the  same.  He  must 
have  it.  Without  it  he  is  lost;  with  it  he  is  at  home 
on  every  sea. 

Life  is  an  ocean,  and  we  are  all  mariners.  It 
has  its  sand  bars  and  sunken  reefs;  its  whirlpools 
and  its  undertow.  It  has  its  times  of  calm  and 
times  of  storm;  its  waves  rippling  in  the  summer 
sun,  and  its  waves  foam-capped  and  mountain- 
high  before  the  storm.  A  lost  wanderer  is  he  who 
does  not  have  a  compass  to  guide  him  straight 
through  its  confusion  and  the  deadly  peril  of  its 
sin.  Here  is  to  be  found  the  secret  of  those  well 
nigh  countless  disasters  upon  the  shores  and  in  the 
deeps  of  life's  ocean.  A  magnificent  life  barque, 
of  the  very  greatest  promise,  sets  out  upon  its 
voyage,  and  all  seems  well.  But  in  a  little  time 
we  see  it  again;  and  the  spars  are  gone,  the  masts 
broken,  the  rudder  hanging  useless,  a  dismantled 
hulk  on  the  ocean's  shore.  The  mariner  had 
lacked  a  compass,  or  had  lost  it,  or  had  failed  to 
read  aright  its  reckoning. 

Again  we  see  a  beautiful  vessel  leave  its  port 
and  start  upon  its  voyage.  Day  after  day  it  holds 
unswerving  on  its  course  until  the  middle  of  the 
vasty  deep  is  reached.     Then  a  storm  arises,  and 


THK   COMPASS  13 

in  the  midst  of  the  storm  she  is  seen  to  act  as  if 
bewildered;  she  loses  her  course,  and,  at  last,  is 
driven  on  the  rocks  and  goes  down,  a  wreck. 
Again  the  compass  has  been  lacked,  or  lost,  or  its 
reckoning  misread. 

Another  life  barque  we  see  unfurl  her  sails  and 
set  out  upon  the  untried  sea.  Almost  immediately 
she  begins  to  sail  amid  shoals  and  rocks,  and  upon 
her  the  breakers  beat,  and  about  her  the  tempests 
roar.  Yet  through  it  all  she  moves  majestically 
on  her  way,  and  arrives,  amidst  the  acclaim  of 
waiting  multitudes,  safe  in  the  haven  on  the 
farther  shore.  The  secret?  Only  this:  with  his 
eye  upon  the  compass,  and  a  strong  hand  on  the 
helm,  the  sailor  had  won  the  victory.  He  could 
not  fail. 

Friends,  all — I  bring  you  such  a  compass  at  this 
hour.  By  it  you  may  guide  your  life  unerringly, 
if  you  will.  Fix  your  eyes  upon  it!  Listen  to  its 
directions!  "Whatsoever  things  are  true,  what- 
soever things  are  honest,  whatsoever  things  are 
just,  whatsoever  things  are  pure,  whatsoever 
things  are  lovely,  whatsoever  things  are  of  good 
report;  if  there  be  any  virtue,  and  if  there  be  any 
praise,  think  on  these  things."  Noble  words 
those,  surely,  to  describe  the  content  of  any  life — 
"true,"  "honest,"  *'just,"  "pure,"  "lovely,"  "of 
good  report! "  Yet  they  are  not  too  noble !  They 
set  before  us  a  high  ideal.  Yet  it  is  not  too  high. 
Why.^     Because  our   natures   are   so   constituted 


14  THE   COMPASS 

that  it  is  ever  necessary  for  us  to  aim  higher  than 
the  mark  which  we  hope  to  hit. 

Many  of  you  probably  have  seen,  at  some  time, 
gunners  aiming  a  gun  at  an  object  a  great  distance 
removed  from  the  place  where  the  gun  was  stand- 
ing. How  did  they  do  it?  Did  they  do  it  by 
pointing  the  gun  directly  at  the  object  which  it 
was  proposed  to  hit.^"  Not  at  alll  On  the  con- 
trary, the  gun  was  aimed,  as  it  were,  high  above 
the  object,  and  to  the  untutored  it  must  seem  as 
though  they  were  indulging  in  an  act  of  the  sub- 
limest  folly.  But  if  the  observer  were  to  stand 
and  watch  for  a  little  time  he  would  be  convinced 
that  he,  and  not  they,  had  been  guilty  of  folly. 
Their  action  was  most  profoundly  reasonable;  for 
they  knew  that  there  necessarily  must  be  a  strong 
attraction  between  the  earth  and  the  heavy  missile 
which  they  were  to  cast,  and  they  must  make 
allowance  for  that  attraction,  and  overcome  it,  or 
else  miss  the  object  at  which  they  had  aimed. 

It  is  not  different  in  relation  to  the  matters  with 
which  we  are  dealing  at  this  time.  There  is  an 
attraction  in  the  things  of  the  spirit  just  as  strong 
as  in  things  material.  When  the  spirit  seeks  for 
high  attainment  it  must  make  due  allowance  for 
the  attraction  of  that  world  of  spiritual  evil  which 
surrounds,  and  so  influences,  the  life  of  every 
individual,  and  it  must  in  some  way  overcome 
that  influence  or  else  it  will  miss  its  goal,  and  be 
disappointed  in  the  effort  to  attain  to  its  ambi- 


THE   COMPASS  15 

tions.  This  is  the  reason  we  never  rise  as  high 
as  our  ideals.  This  is  the  reason  we  must  place 
before  our  minds,  and  keep  constantly  there,  the 
goal  of  perfection  in  all  things  in  order  that  we 
may  be  able  to  do  our  best  with  the  imperfect 
powers  at  our  command.  Place  before  your  eyes, 
therefore,  the  goal  of  perfection  as  the  goal  of 
your  lives.  Expect  it!  Live  for  it!  But  be  not 
disappointed  if  you  do  not  attain  it;  for  we  live  in 
the  midst  of  a  world  of  sin,  and  as  long  as  we  are 
possessed  of  a  sinful  nature,  sin  will  influence  us, 
and  our  best  effort  will  be  weakened  by  it.  The 
one  thing  for  us  to  do  is  to  strive;  and  in  the 
striving  to  gain  strength,  grace,  and  glory. 

And,  now,  to  the  reading  of  the  compass  itself. 
I  know  not  how  better  to  impress  its  meaning 
than  by  examining  somewhat  carefully  the  im- 
port of  each  of  the  words  which  Paul,  the  Apostle, 
has  chosen  to  express  the  various  aspects  of  the 
ideal  character.  They  are  not  chosen  at  random, 
and  it  is  solely  because  of  the  profit  that  I  know 
must  come  to  us  all  from  this  study  that  I  venture 
to  enter  upon  it  at  all  in  this  presence.  This  is  a 
verse  of  scripture  replete  with  significant  words 
and  deep  meaning.  Even  the  word  in  which  wc 
are  bidden  to  think  of  these  things  is  one  of  very 
unusual  significance.  We  are  not  to  think  of 
them  casually  nor  loosely,  but  deeply,  seriously, 
and  in  such  a  way  as  to  lead  to  definite  and  worthy 
conclusions.     \n  order  that  I   may  impress   this 


i6  THE  COMPASS 

fact,  I  need  say  nothing  further  than  that  the 
word  in  the  original  language  is  the  very  word 
from  which  we  derive  our  word  logic,  the  name 
for  deep,  systematic,  correct  thinking  according 
to  rule.  It  is  thus  we  are  to  think  on  these  things, 
giving  to  them  the  total  of  attention  of  every  power 
of  mind  and  soul. 

Think  thus,  with  every  power  of  mind  and  of 
soul  combined,  on  the  true!  And  what  is  the 
true.^  I  know^  of  no  subject  on  which  our  ideas 
are  more  hazy  than  on  this;  and  it  will  not  be  amiss, 
therefore,  for  us  to  seek  to  come,  with  Paul,  to  a 
deeper  understanding  of  his  meaning.  Whatsoever 
others  may  mean,  or  may  fail  to  mean,  by  it,  he 
does  not  leave  us  in  doubt.  His  word  is  perfectly 
transparent.  And  so  we  will  find  it  the  whole  way 
through.  He  uses  a  compound  word  here,  the 
first  part  of  which  is  the  negative  prefix,  Hke  our 
prefixes  in  and  un,  and  the  second  part,  the 
root  which  means  concealed  or  hidden.  The  true, 
therefore,  as  he  conceives  it,  is  the  unconcealed, 
the  unhidden.  And  it  is  not  concealed,  or  hidden, 
because  it  is  so  open,  so  frank,  so  upright,  so  free 
from  evil  of  every  shade  and  degree,  that  it  needs 
no  concealment,  no  hiding.  Ah,  hearer  mine,  do 
you  not  instantly  perceive  the  nobility  of  this 
conception  of  life?  One  life  there  has  been,  lived 
in  the  presence  of  ntcn,  so  open,  so  frank,  so  good, 
that  after  three  and  thirty  years,  when  his  enemies 
sought  witness  against  him,  to  take  his  life,  they 


THE   COMPASS  17 

found  none.  Though  with  wicked  hands  they 
crucified  him,  it  was  by  the  testimony  of  false 
witnesses,  who  hated  all  the  more  because  no 
wrong  could  be  found  in  that  life  so  well  known  to 
them  all.  The  true  life  wears  its  heart  upon  its 
sleeve  so  that  all  may  see  its  beat,  and  may  know 
that  every  action  is  but  the  mirror  of  a  heart  that 
is  stained  red  with  the  blood  of  sympathy  and 
warmed  with  the  pulse  of  love.  Brother — sister — 
bear  me  record  in  this — when  you  find  yourself 
the  object  of  suspicion  on  the  part  of  others,  it 
may  be  from  the  inherent  evil  of  their  minds;  but 
the  chances  are  tenfold  greater  that  it  is  because 
of  the  forced  concealment  of  evil  in  the  secret 
places  of  your  own  life.  Showing  but  a  partial 
confidence  toward  others,  you  receive  from  them 
in  return  that  which  you  yourself  have  bestowed. 
I  can  covet  for  you — I  can  covet  for  myself — as 
we  are  face  to  face  with  each  other,  nothing  nobler, 
nothing  better,  than  this  unconcealed  life — un- 
concealed because  it  needs  no  concealment. 

Think  thus  on  the  honest!  By  this  we  are 
accustomed  to  mean  the  upright,  the  fair,  the 
straightforward,  the  virtuous.  But  we  do  not 
stop  thus  on  the  surface  today.  Again  we  must 
let  Paul  explain  himself,  and  he  does  it  most  sig- 
nificantly. He  uses  a  word  here  which  the  Greeks 
were  accustomed  to  use  to  describe  their  state  of 
mind  and  feeling  when  they  approached,  and 
bowed  in  worship  before,  their  gods.     It  means, 


1 8  THE   COMPASS 

therefore,  worshipful,  the  possession  of  those  quali- 
ties of  character  and  of  life  that  would  claim  the 
worship  and  admiration  and  devotion  of  men. 
This  is  nothing  less  than  a  call  to  recognize  the 
godUke  and  the  divine  in  our  natures — to  live  for 
it — to  discard  all  else.  It  means  the  death  of 
selfishness  and  the  enthronement  of  love  for  others. 
It  means  the  debasement  of  self  and  the  uplifting 
of  others.  It  means  self-sacrifice,  suffering,  the 
use  of  power,  the  out-pouring  of  love  and  sympa- 
thy, all — for  others,  that  they  may  be  happy, 
that  they  may  be  blessed.  Oh,  that  now  we  might 
understand  the  meaning  of  John's  wondrous  words : 
"Beloved,  now  are  we  the  sons  of  God,  and  it 
doth  not  yet  appear  what  we  shall  be;  but  we 
know  that  when  He  shall  appear  we  shall  be  like 
Him,  for  we  shall  see  Him  as  He  isl"  If  this  we 
could  know,  then  might  we  also  know  the  fulness 
of  the  meaning  which  the  Apostle  has  written  into 
this  one  word  for  us. 

Think  thus  on  the  just!  We  stand  on  better 
known  ground  here,  and  can  speak  with  more  of 
confidence.  The  word  just  is  always  used  to 
describe  relation  to  law.  The  man  who  fulfills 
all  law  is  a  just  man.  The  man  who  is  disobedient 
to  law  is  necessarily  unjust.  He  who  fulfills  the 
law  of  God  is  just  in  the  sight  of  God.  He  who 
fulfills  all  laws  that  bind  him  as  a  man  among 
men  is  just  in  the  sight  of  men.  What  arc  the 
commands  of  God — the  laws  thai  men  must  obey 


THE  COMPASS  19 

in  order  that  they  may  be  just  before  him?  The 
Master  Teacher  has  summed  them  up  for  us 
thus:  **Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord,  thy  God,  with 
all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all 
thy  mind,  and  with  all  thy  strength.  This  is 
the  first  and  the  great  commandment.  And  the 
second  is  like  unto  it:  Thou  shalt  love  thy 
neighbor  as  thyself.  On  these  two  commandments 
hang  all  the  law  and  the  prophets. "  This  do  and 
thou  shalt  live.  This  do  and  thou  art  justified  in 
the  sight  of  God. 

We  might  well  stop  here,  for  duty  to  God  well 
performed  means  duty  to  man  discharged  as  well. 
But  on  this  point  we  must  specify  a  little.  There 
are  various  spheres  of  usefulness  which  have  been 
entered,  or  may  be  entered,  by  the  members  of 
this  congregation.  Some  of  you  may  have  en- 
tered mercantile  life.  To  use  a  yardstick  that  is 
a  fraction  of  an  inch  short,  or  to  use  a  pair  of  scales 
that  loses  a  fraction  of  an  ounce  in  every  pound, 
while  it  may  be  putting  money  in  your  own,  or 
in  your  employer's  pocket,  is  not  being  just  to 
your  fellow-men. 

Some  of  you  may  have  entered  the  legal  pro- 
fession. To  twist  the  truth  by  giving  certain 
phases  of  the  case  an  undue  prominence  because 
they  are  of  value  to  your  client,  while  passing 
entirely  over  others  because  they  are  hurtful  to 
his  cause,  is  just  neither  to  the  party  in  whose 
interest   justice    has    been    defeated,    for   justice 


20  THE  COMPASS 

demands  that  he  should  pay  the  proper  penalty 
of  his  crime;  nor  to  the  party  on  the  other  side  of 
the  case,  for  he  has  been  wronged,  and  the  law 
has  simply  established  the  wrong;  nor  is  it  just 
before  God,  for  the  lawyer  has  acted  a  lie  in  order 
to  gain  his  ends,  and  the  ends  of  his  cHent. 

Some  of  you  may  have  entered  the  profession 
of  the  teacher.  If  so,  it  will  not  be  just  for  you 
simply  to  **keep  school;"  for  in  doing  this  you 
wrong  the  pupil  who  suffers  by  your  negligence, 
the  patron  who  pays  you  for  your  services  and 
does  not  obtain  value  received,  and  the  school 
board  which  gave  you  its  confidence  and  has  had 
that  confidence  betrayed,  and  your  own  soul  in 
accepting  a  trust  and  not  discharging  it.  I  use 
these  illustrations  simply  in  order  that  I  may 
show  that  the  demands  of  justice  are  as  keen  and 
sharp  as  a  razor  blade,  and  we  cannot  escape  from 
them  in  our  daily  lives  and  relations  with  our 
fellows.  Here  we  might  enlarge  almost  indefinite- 
ly, but  must  not,  for  other  important  things  call 
us  onward. 

Think  thus  on  the  pure!  Paul's  word  here  is 
the  same  root  as  that  which  means  lamb.  What 
so  innocent,  so  spotless,  so  beautiful  as  the  snow- 
white  lamb  of  the  spring-time!  This  the  Apostle 
would  have  you  and  me  to  make  the  symbol  of 
our  lives.  Reader  mine,  of  whatever  else  you 
may  allow  yourself  to  be  guilty,  let  me  plead 
with  you  to  keep  yourself  pure!     Let  only  pure 


THE  COMPASS  21 

thoughts  dwell  in  your  mind!  Let  only  pure 
words  pass  your  lips!  Let  only  pure  actions  be 
indulged!  Avoid  impurity  in  any  and  every  form; 
whether  it  come  to  you  from  books  to  be  read, 
from  companions  with  whom  you  mingle,  or  from 
pleasures  which  you  may  permit  yourself — avoid 
it  as  you  would  the  plague;  for  if  it  once  fastens 
its  contaminating  fingers  upon  you,  there  is  noth- 
ing that  is  noble,  good,  or  true  in  your  life  or 
character  that  will  escape  its  defiling  touch.  A 
maiden  is  prized  just  in  proportion  as  she  is  modest, 
chaste,  and  spotless.  May  God  hasten  the  day 
when  the  same  standard  shall  be  mercilessly 
applied  to  our  younger  and  older  men!  Purity! 
It  is  thy  life!  Guard  it  as  thou  prizest  thine  own 
soul! 

Think  thus  on  the  lovely!  Aye,  for  it  is  worthy 
of  thought.  The  world  is  in  sore  need  of  more 
beauty,  more  sweetness,  more  light.  May  your 
lives  be  fountains  of  all  that  is  lovely,  uplifting, 
refreshing  in  man's  life!  Then,  though  you  may 
pass  your  days  in  humble  positions  and  in  lowly 
service,  at  the  end  will  be  written — glory! 

Think  thus  on  that  which  is  of  good  report!  A 
man's  reputation,  and  doubly  so  a  woman's,  is 
the  stock  in  trade.  His  reputation  for  integrity 
is  the  measure  of  his  influence  for  good  in  any 
community  in  which  he  finds  himself.  This  same 
reputation  is  the  measure  of  the  honors  which  he 
will  receive  at  the  hands  of  his  fellow-men.     Have 


22  THE  COMPASS 

you  ambitions?  It  is  thoroughly  right  that  you 
should  have.  Build  them  upon  the  solid  founda- 
tion of  Christ-like  character  and  reputation  for 
virtue,  and  there  is  no  ambition  that  is  consistent 
with  the  Apostle's  earnest  admonition  to  covet 
earnestly  the  best  gifts,  which  is  beyond  your 
reach  or  wrong  for  you  to  entertain.  By  all  the 
virtue  that  is  in  the  world — by  all  that  is  worthy 
of  praise,  I  plead  with  you  to  make  these  the 
things  of  your  hourly  endeavor. 

And  now,  I  have  almost  done.  One  word  more 
and  I  am  done.  Up  to  this  hour,  deservedly  or 
undeservedly,  your  life  has  been  full  of  very  real 
blessings.  From  this  time  onward  may  it  be 
doubly  so.  But,  above  all,  let  it  be  filled  with 
that  truth,  that  honesty,  that  justice,  that  purity, 
that  loveliness,  that  golden  reputation,  which  I 
have  tried  so  inadequately  to  picture  to  you  in 
these  lines.  Then  shall  the  blessing  of  heaven 
rest  down  upon  your  life  in  richest  measure,  and 
you  shall  be  a  blessing  wherever  you  go. 

In  bringing  my  words  to  a  close,  I  can  express 
my  last  desire  and  crown  this  message  in  no 
better  language  than  that  immortal  stanza  of 
Bryant's: 

"So  live,  that  when  thy  summons  comes  to  join 
The  innumerable  caravan,  that  moves 
To  that  mysterious  realm,  where  each  shall  take 
His  chamber  in  the  silent  halls  of  death, 


THE   COMPASS  23 

That  thou  go  not,  like  the  quariy-slave  at  night, 
Scourged   to  his    dungeon,    but,    sustained    and 

soothed 
By  an  unfaltering  trust,  approach  thy  grave. 
Like  one  who  wraps  the  drapery  of  his  couch 
About  him,  and  lies  down  to  pleasant  dreams. " 


II 

Light  Versus  Darkness 

^^  And  this  is  the  judgment,  that  light  is  come  into  the 
world  and  men  loved  darkness  rather  than  the  light,  because 
their  deeds  were  evil.'' 

(saint  JOHN  3:19) 

npHERE  is  an  infinite  sadness  about  blindness. 
It  may,  with  much  justice,  be  looked  upon 
as  the  greatest  physical  calamity.  It  at  once 
awakens  our  sympathy,  and  the  expression,  "poor 
man!"  rises  involuntarily  to  the  lips,  and  tears  to 
the  eyes.  And  why  is  it  so?  It  is  because  we 
know  that  the  light  of  life  has  gone  out,  and  there 
is  now  naught  but  gloomy  darkness.  For  the 
blind  man  the  sun  no  longer  shines,  nor  the  moon 
gives  her  light,  nor  the  stars  twinkle  like  the 
knowing  eye  of  some  far-off  friend.  For  him  the 
flowers  never  spring  in  beauty,  nor  the  rivulet 
sparkles  in  the  sunshine  and  goes  smiling  on  its 
gladsome  way.  For  him  there  is  no  green  grass 
with  its  velvety  beauty,  no  blue  sky  that  looks 
down  complacently  upon  his  life,  no  earth-born 
landscape  with  its  thousand  changing  charms. 
For  him  the  rainbow  of  promise  never  appears, 

24 


LIGHT  VERSUS  DARKNESS         25 

the  diamond  never  shoots  back  the  rays  of  the  sun, 
the  ruby  never  burns  and  glows  with  its  warm, 
pure  light.  He  sees  the  face  of  no  loved  one. 
The  smile  of  gladness,  the  joy  of  welcome,  the  tear 
that  speaks  so  much  more  eloquently  to  the  heart 
than  any  words,  are  all  unseen  and  their  sweet 
thrill  unfelt.  Beauty  has  no  meaning  for  him;  he 
sees  it  not,  nor  can  he  truly  know  it.  Sad,  in- 
finitely sad,  is  physical  blindness! 

But  even  sadder  still  would  it  be  if  we  knew 
that  the  blindness  were  self-inflicted.  We  read 
with  horror  of  the  blindness  inflicted  in  olden  days 
upon  Israel's  king,  because  of  his  presumptuous 
rebellion.  We  brand  his  conqueror  as  inhuman, 
as  lacking  all  the  qualities  of  the  manhood  he  dis- 
graced. And  yet,  all  around  us  are  those  who 
are  bringing  upon  themselves  a  blindness  im- 
measurably worse,  and  we  blame  them  not,  nor 
warn  them,  nor  give  them  our  sympathy.  There 
is  a  physical  blindness.  There  is  also  a  spiritual 
blindness.  The  latter  is  more  sad  than  the  former 
by  just  so  much  as  the  spirit  is  more  noble  and 
God-like  than  matter.  This  spiritual  blindness 
cannot  be  inflicted  by  another.  It  must  come  as 
the  result  of  one's  own  wilful  act.  Ah,  my  friends, 
when  we  are  permitting  our  sympathies  to  run 
with  free  rein  for  those  who  suffer  from  physical 
blindness,  let  us  not  forget  to  give  a  part,  and  a 
large  part  too,  to  those  even  more  unfortunate 
ones,  in  whom  the  god  of  this  world  has  blinded 


26  THE  COMPASS 

their  eyes,  lest  the  light  of  the  glorious  Gospel  of 
the  Christ,  who  is  the  image  and  the  glory  of  God, 
should  shine  unto  them.  Theirs  is  the  worse 
blindness,  for  it  shuts  their  eyes  to  the  beauty  of 
Christ  and  to  the  claims  of  His  salvation  upon 
them. 

This  is  the  blindness  that  is  spoken  of  in  the 
language  of  Scripture  which  we  study.  Just  prior 
to  this  the  Master  had  been  speaking  about  judg- 
ment and  the  escape  from  judgment.  Here  we 
have  the  judgment  itself  described  to  us,  the 
judgment  which  is  the  natural  consequence  of  our 
sins.  Light  is  come  into  the  world,  but  we  love 
the  darkness,  remain  in  the  darkness,  and  will 
not  come  to  the  light.  This,  too,  is  the  judgment 
from  which  we  are  to  seek  escape,  that  our  eyes 
may  no  longer  be  holden,  but  that  we  may  see  the 
light  and  learn  to  love  it  and  live  by  it. 

As  the  blindness  which  is  here  spoken  of  is  not 
the  blindness  of  the  physical  eye,  so  the  light  is 
not  that  of  the  physical  world.  It  is,  on  the  con- 
trary, that  true  light  which  lighteth  every  man 
that  Cometh  into  the  world.  It  is  Jesus  the 
Christ,  the  light  of  the  world.  When  our  text 
says  ^' light  is  come  into  the  world,"  it  means  that 
Christ  has  come.  And  when  it  says  that  men, 
because  their  deeds  were  evil,  loved  darkness 
rather  than  light,  it  means  that  they  loved  the 
world  of  sin  more  than  the  Christ  of  righteousness, 
and  the  darkness  of  hopelessness  better  than  the 


LIGHT  VERSUS  DARKNESS  27 

light  of  assurance  and  a  joyous  confidence.  When 
it  says  that  light  is  come  into  the  world,  and  men, 
refusing  to  come  to  the  light,  have  pronounced 
judgment  upon  themselves,  he  says  that  the 
severest  penalty  that  could  be  inflicted  upon  any 
sinful  soul  is  simply  to  be  unable  to  see  the  light 
as  it  shines  in  the  Christ  life,  that  sin  is  its  own 
punishment  and  makes  its  own  hell.  I  can  con- 
ceive of  nothing  more  terrible  than  that  a  soul 
should  continue  on  its  sinful  way  through  unend- 
ing ages.  How  little  do  the  pleasures  of  sin  satisfy 
even  now!  How  soon  do  we  become  satiated  and 
go  wandering  about  the  world,  a  disillusioned 
Childe  Harold  or  a  misanthropic  Solomon.  When 
you  would  read  the  book  of  Ecclesiastes,  remem- 
ber that  you  are  reading  the  words  of  a  disap- 
pointed, worldly,  old  man,  and  many  of  its  dark 
sayings  will  be  explained.  In  its  remorse,  useless 
but  keen;  in  its  pessimism;  in  its  final  summing  up 
of  duty;  it  gives  a  fearful  picture  of  the  workings 
of  the  disappointed  mind  whose  God-like  powers 
have  been  prostituted  to  the  usages  of  the  life  of 
sin.  It  gives  an  insight  into  the  mind  of  the 
character  in  drama,  who  cries  out  in  despair  of  ever 
escaping  from  his  sin,  "myself  am  hell!"  There 
is  no  torture  more  keen  than  this,  no  sentence 
more  severe  than  that  it  should  never  end.  Physi- 
cal fire  is  but  a  grain  of  sand  over  against  a  moun- 
tain in  comparison  with  it.  The  judgment  of 
the  sinner,  therefore,  will  be  simply  this:  that  his 


28  THE   COMPASS 

eyes  will  be  so  blinded  that  he  cannot  see  in  Christ 
the  light  of  the  world,  and  must  go  groping  on  in 
darkness  forever  and  forever. 

That  Christ  is  properly  called  the  light  is  evi- 
dent from  the  following  reasons:  First,  He  reveals 
to  men  the  glory  of  a  true  manhood.  Second, 
He  reveals  to  men  the  glory  of  a  true  God,  in 
whose  image  man  is  made.  Third,  He  reveals  to 
men  the  glory  of  an  immortal  life,  the  reward  of 
faith,  after  God  and  men  have  been  reconciled. 
These  are  the  great  things  of  life:  the  answers  to 
the  queries,  How  may  I  become  a  better  man? 
How  may  I  know  God?  Is  there  a  God,  and  if 
so,  what  is  He?  Does  this  life  end  all,  or  is  there 
a  life  beyond  the  grave  in  which  the  wrongs  and 
inequalities  of  this  life  shall  be  made  right  and 
equal?  Get  your  answer  to  each  in  the  light  of 
the  Christ  life,  and  then  thank  your  God  that  this 
light  has  been  given,  and  that  your  eyes  have  been 
opened  to  see  it  and  to  walk  in  its  ways. 

First,  then,  the  light  which  Christ  sheds  upon 
a  true  and  glorious  manhood.  How  strangely  and 
absolutely  different  is  his  conception  of  what 
manhood  is  from  the  world's  conception.  The 
world  says  that  he  is  the  truest  man  who  can  get 
the  most  out  of  the  world.  Christ  says  that  he 
is  the  truest  man  who  puts  most  into  the  world. 
The  world  says  he  is  the  greatest  man  who,  by  the 
power  of  his  intellect  and  will,  can  reign  over  other 
men  and  make  them  the  servants  of  his  ambitions. 


LIGHT  VERSUS   DARKNESS  29 

Christ  says,  the  greatest  among  you  shall  be  the 
servant  of  all.  The  world  says,  the  truest  man 
is  the  man  who  heaps  up  riches,  by  keen  business 
instinct,  succeeding  where  others  have  failed. 
Jesus  says,  the  true  test  of  manhood  is,  **go  and 
sell  all  thou  hast  and  give  it  to  the  poor,  and  come, 
follow  me."  The  world  says,  the  strongest  man 
is  he  who  best  looks  out  for  the  interests  of  Num- 
ber One.  Jesus  says,  thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor 
as  thyself.  Look  not  every  man  on  his  own 
things,  but  every  man  also  on  the  things  of  others. 
Let  this  mind  be  in  you  which  was  also  in  Christ 
Jesus:  who,  being  in  the  form  of  God,  thought  it 
not  a  prize  to  be  grasped  at  and  clung  to,  to  be 
equal  with  God:  but  made  Himself  of  no  reputa- 
tion, and  took  upon  Himself  the  form  of  a  servant, 
and  was  made  in  the  likeness  of  men:  and  being 
found  in  fashion  as  a  man,  He  humbled  Himself, 
and  became  obedient  unto  death,  yea,  the  death 
of  the  cross. "  The  world  says,  the  truest  man  is 
the  self-made  man,  sufficient  unto  himself,  know- 
ing no  law  but  the  dictates  of  his  own  iron  will. 
The  carpenter  of  Nazareth  says,  the  truest  man  is 
the  God-made  man,  humble,  seeking  not  to  do 
his  own  will,  but  the  will  of  Him  who  put  him  in 
the  world  to  do  His  work.  The  world  says,  the 
strongest  man  is  the  man  who  can  give  as  good  as 
he  gets,  and  who  can,  in  spite  of  all  opposition, 
rise  triumphant  through  his  own  unaided  arm. 
Christ  says,  the  strongest  man  is  he  who,  when 


30  THE  COMPASS 

he  is  reviled  reviles  not  again,  when  he  is  angry 
threatens  not,  but  commits  himself  to  him  who 
judgeth  righteously.  The  world  says,  he  is  strong- 
est who  can  resist  most  strenuously  the  enemy 
and  beat  him  at  his  own  tactics.  Christ  says, 
"In  returning  and  rest  shall  ye  be  saved.  In 
quietness  and  confidence  shall  be  your  strength." 
The  world  says,  multiply  armies  and  armaments 
in  order  to  preserve  the  world's  equilibrium  and 
peace.  Christ  says,  ''he  that  killeth  with  a  sword 
shall  be  killed  with  a  sword."  The  world  says, 
he  is  the  greatest  warrior  who  can  take  the  offen- 
sive and  force  the  battle.  Christ  says,  he  is  the 
greatest  warrior  who  can  stand  on  the  defensive, 
and  having  done  all,  stand.  The  world  says,  the 
greatest  hero  is  he  who  takes  a  garrisoned  fort  or 
city,  or  destroys  an  enemy's  fleet.  Christ  says, 
he  that  ruleth  his  spirit  is  better  than  he  that 
taketh  a  city.  The  world  puts  its  emphasis  upon 
the  active  virtues.  Christ  lays  all  of  His  stress 
upon  the  passive  virtues,  patience,  long-suffering, 
gentleness,  meekness,  faith,  temperance,  which  is 
self-control.  The  world  puts  a  premium  upon 
acquisitions.  Christ  rests  everything  upon  char- 
acter. He  is  the  noblest  man,  according  to  Christ's 
teaching,  who  is  least  selfish  and  most  thoughtful 
of  others;  who  is  least  unkind,  and  most  kindly  in 
all  of  his  actions  and  judgments;  who  is  not  desir- 
ous of  keeping  his  all,  but  is  most  self-sacrificing 
in  spirit  and  practice;  who  makes  his  resort,  not 


LIGHT  VERSUS  DARKNESS  31 

with  the  wealthy  and  the  righteous,  but  with  the 
poor  and  the  sinner  who  need  him  most;  who  shuns 
not  the  house  of  mourning,  but  weeps  with  those 
who  weep;  who,  not  in  self-righteous  phariseeism, 
holds  himself  aloof  from  the  pleasures  of  the  world, 
but  mingles  freely  in  them,  and  by  his  very  presence 
there  seeks  to  purify  and  uplift;  who,  in  humble 
dependence  upon  God,  acknowledging  his  sin, 
trusts  Him  for  forgiveness  and  strengthening  and 
guidance;  who,  confessing  his  sin  and  unworthiness, 
and  asking  God  to  forgive  him  and  to  create  him 
a  new  creature  in  Christ  Jesus,  places  himself  in 
the  keeping  of  the  comforting  and  guiding  Spirit 
of  God  to  be  used,  to  be  made  holy. 

The  world  praises  him  who  gets.  Christ  praises 
him  who  gives.  The  world  lauds  him  who  can 
keep  after  he  has  received.  Christ  lauds  self- 
denial,  self-sacrifice.  The  world  permits  a  shady 
morality.  Christ  demands  an  absolute  purity  of 
thought,  word  and  action.  The  world  says,  blessed 
are  you  when  you  can  carry  water  on  both  should- 
ers so  successfully,  when  you  have  so  little  char- 
acter, as  to  have  no  enemies.  Christ  says,  "blessed 
are  ye  when  men  shall  revile  you  and  persecute 
you,  and  say  all  manner  of  evil  against  you  falsely, 
for  my  sake;  rejoice  and  be  exceeding  glad,  for 
great  is  your  reward  in  heaven." 

The  world  says,  "blessed  are  you  when  you 
have  seen  a  little  of  the  world  and  its  sin,  and  have 
experienced  just  a  little  of  its  contamination,  so 


32  THE  COMPASS 

that  you  may  feel  more  strongly  and  combat  it 
more  intelligently. " 

Christ  says,  "blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart,  for 
they  shall  see  God. " 

The  world  laughs  at  mistakes:  "he  is  only  a 
man,  you  know. " 

Christ  says,  "be  ye  therefore  perfect,  even  as 
your  Father  in  heaven  is  perfect!" 

Second,  the  light  that  is  shed  by  Christ  upon 
the  true  glory  of  God  in  whose  image  man  was 
made.  Before  Christ's  coming  it  was  practically 
impossible  to  understand  God  aright.  No  man 
ever  had  seen  him.  The  Jews  had  done  their  very 
best  to  understand  him,  but  they  had  failed.  To 
them  he  was  merely  the  Great  and  Terrible  God: 
a  God  of  unbending  justice,  Avho  sent  fiery  ser- 
pents among  His  people  on  account  of  their  sin; 
caused  them  to  wander  forty  years  in  the  wilder- 
ness because  of  their  murmuring;  slew  them  at 
the  hands  of  the  children  of  Ai  because  one  man 
had  been  disobedient,  and  so  on  to  the  end  of  the 
chapter.  Apparently  He  knew  no  mercy,  for  He 
destroyed  whole  nations  before  their  approach, 
and  even  allowed  them  to  be  carried  away  into 
captivity,  and  their  whole  land  to  be  despoiled. 
They  thought  of  Him  as  ordering  them  to  spare 
none  of  their  enemies,  but  to  put  all  alike  to  the 
sword.  The  consequence  was,  the  Jews  could  fear 
their  God,  but  it  must  have  been  very  hard  for 
them  to  love  Him.     And  they  were  not  the  only 


LIGHT  VERSUS   DARKNESS  33 

ones  who  have  that  difficulty.  The  Old  Testa- 
ment idea  of  God,  as  it  is  written  plainly  in  many 
places,  is  a  stone  of  stumbling  to  many,  even  at 
the  present  day. 

Jesus  Christ  came  to  remove  this  stumbling 
block  in  the  way  of  so  many,  and  to  reveal  God 
in  His  true  light  and  relationship  to  His  people. 
He  is  no  longer  the  Great  and  Terrible  God  of 
Nehemiah,  but  He  is  the  Father — the  Father  who 
loves  His  people,  and  who,  as  a  proof  of  that  love, 
in  the  person  of  His  Son,  came  into  the  world, 
filled  one  human  life  full  of  Himself,  laid  down 
His  life  in  order  that  men  might  understand  Him 
and  His  way  of  salvation,  and  thus  be  led  to  turn 
from  their  sins  and  to  give  Him  an  avenue  for  the 
workings  of  His  infinite  mercy.  He  came  to  show 
that  the  God  of  justice  is  also  a  God  of  love,  and 
He  commended  His  love  toward  us  in  that  while  we 
were  yet  sinners,  Christ  died  for  us.  Surely  this 
is  an  unerring  proof,  for  greater  love  hath  no  man 
than  this,  that  a  man  lay  down  his  life  for  his 
friends.  But  God  laid  down  His  life  for  those 
who  were  in  rebellion  against  Him,  and  thus,  by 
His  own  action,  made  it  possible  to  extend  to  them 
His  forgiveness.  Fie  came  to  reveal  to  men  the 
wonders  of  God's  grace,  which  made  Him  unwill- 
ing that  any  one  should  perish,  and  caused  Him 
to  send  His  Spirit  to  subdue  our  stubborn  wills, 
melt  our  hearts,  renew  our  minds,  and  make  us 
willing  in   the  day  of  His   power  to   accept  the 


34  THE  COMPASS 

great  salvation  which  His  wisdom  has  wrought; 
to  work  faith  in  us  that  being  united  with  Christ 
by  faith  we  might  live  in  Him  and  bear  the  fruits 
of  repentance;  to  continue  in  us  that  good  work 
which  should  finally  result  in  our  complete  restora- 
tion to  the  image  and  the  favor  of  God,  and  bring 
us  home,  as  His  repentant  children,  from  the  far 
country  into  which  we  have  wandered  to  the 
house  of  many  mansions  where  a  place  awaits  for 
every  soul  of  man  who  will  do  the  will  of  God  and 
bring  forth  fruits  meet  for  repentance. 

Thus  has  Christ  revealed  God;  for  he  who  said, 
let  light  shine  out  of  darkness,  hath  shined  in  our 
hearts,  to  reveal  to  us  the  knowledge  of  the  glory 
of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ  his  Son.  And 
Christ,  in  His  life,  was  the  embodiment  of  mercy 
and  kindness;  He  came  to  the  undeserving,  and 
upon  such  He  expended  His  effort,  and  for  such 
He  died.  He  was  the  embodiment  of  love  and 
forgiveness;  for  He  wept  over  Jerusalem  when 
she  would  not  hear  Him,  and  He  prayed  for  the 
soldiers  when  they  crucified  Him.  He  was  the 
embodiment  of  grace,  for  His  very  presence  was  a 
gracious  presence,  and  blessings  to  the  undeserving 
lurked  in  His  very  shadow,  clung  to  the  hem  of 
His  garments,  flew  at  the  bidding  of  His  word. 
This  is  the  Christ  whom  we  worship.  This  is  our 
God:  a  God  of  infinite  mercy,  a  God  of  infinite 
love,  a  God  of  infinite  grace.  This  light  is  seen 
only  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  is  in  the  world  today 


LIGHT  VERSUS  DARKNESS  35 

through  Him  and  through  Him  alone.  Can  it  be 
possible  that  any  one  would  love  darkness  rather 
than  such  wonderful,  glorious  light? 

Third,  the  light  given  by  Christ  upon  that  im- 
mortal life  beyond  the  borders  of  the  seen,  in  the 
world  of  mystery  and  shadows. 

There  is  that  within  us  which  cries  out  for 
immortality.  Tennyson  has  most  beautifully 
voiced  it  in  his  In  Memoriam,  and  Wordsworth, 
too,  in  words  more  few,  but  no  less  beautiful: 

**Our  birth  is  but  a  sleep  and  a  forgetting: 
The  soul  that  rises  with  us,  our  life's  star, 

Hath  had  elsewhere  its  setting, 
And  cometh  from  afar. 

Not  in  entire  forgetfulness, 
And  not  in  utter  nakedness, 

But  trailing  clouds  of  glory  do  we  come, 

From  God  who  is  our  home: 

Heaven  lies  about  us  in  our  infancy." 

"Hence  in  a  season  of  calm  weather. 

Though  inland  far  we  be, 
Our  souls  have  sight  of  that  immortal  sea 

Which  brought  us  hither. 
Can  in  a  moment  travel  thither. 

And  see  the  children  sport  upon  the  shore. 
And  hear  the  mighty  waters  roUing  evermore! " 

It  is  one  of  the  chief  beauties  of  our  religion, 
that  through  it  Jesus  Christ  has  brought  life  and 


36  THE  COMPASS 

immortality  to  light.  Before  His  death,  death 
was  shrouded  in  mystery,  and  the  tomb  was  a 
place  of  dread.  But  now  the  mystery  of  death 
has  been  solved,  and  from  the  open  door  of  Joseph's 
new  tomb  ever  shine  forth  hopes  the  most  sacred 
and  satisfying  that  men  of  the  world  possess. 
Death  is  but  a  sleep — a  sleep  in  which  the  body 
is  locked  until  that  blessed  resurrection  day  when 
the  dead,  small  and  great,  shall  stand  before  the 
judge,  "and  they  that  be  wise  shall  shine  as  the 
brightness  of  the  firm.ament  and  they  that  turn 
many  to  righteousness  as  the  stars  forever  and 
ever. "  Blessed  as  are  many  of  the  experiences 
that  come  to  us  here  and  now,  we  reckon  justly 
that  they  are  not  worthy  to  be  compared  to  the 
glory  that  shall  be  revealed  in  us. 

"We  shall  sleep,  but  not  forever; 
There  will  be  a  glorious  dawn. 
We  shall  meet  to  part,  no,  never, 
On  the  resurrection  morn." 

The  crown  which  shall  be  bestowed  upon  those 
who  have  been  faithful  in  this  life,  is  life  forever, 
life  unending,  life  eternal  in  the  presence  of  the 
glory  of  the  Father.  Christ  could  think  of  no 
more  precious  boon  to  bestow  than  the  boon  of  a 
deathless,  changeless  life.  Its  preciousness  is  well 
suggested  by  the  estimate  placed  by  Him  and  by 
us  upon  this  world's  life.     "What  shall  it  profit 


LIGHT  VERSUS  DARKNESS  37 

a  man  if  he  gain  the  whole  world,  and  lose  his  own 
life?"  Such  is  almost  certainly  the  true  meaning 
of  the  Master's  question.  The  life  of  a  man  is 
therefore  of  more  importance  than  the  whole  world 
and  all  that  it  contains.  Yet,  in  comparison  with 
the  life  beyond,  the  life  that  now  is,  is  but  nothing. 
A  few  short  years,  a  little  of  usefulness,  a  little  of 
imperfect  happiness,  and  it  is  ended.  But  the  life 
beyond  is  for  endless  years,  its  useful  service  never 
ends,  its  perfect  happiness  knows  no  palling  or 
loss  of  charm.  Then,  praise  to  Christ  because 
He  has  brought  life  and  immortality  to  light 
through  His  Gospel ! 

It  becomes  at  once  plain  that  the  judgment 
pronounced  upon  men  because  of  their  sin  is  one 
sufficiently  awful  to  cause  any  one  to  stop  and  to 
consider.  It  is,  as  our  text  plainly  says,  that  their 
eyes  are  blinded  so  that  they  cannot  see  the  light, 
and  they  go  forever  on  in  their  love  of  the  dark- 
ness. The  light  to  which  they  are  blind  is  Jesus 
Christ  the  light  of  the  world,  the  light  of  men. 
To  be  blind  to  Him  is  to  be  blind  to  our  truest 
manhood  in  this  life,  to  God  in  His  real  nature 
as  love,  to  our  immortal  destiny  in  the  world  of 
the  unknown.  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
and  thou  shalt  be  saved.  Thy  darkness  shall  be- 
come light,  thy  blindness,  sight;  thy  sighing,  song. 


Ill 

The  Crystallization  of  Character 

''''And  if  the  tree  jail  toward  the  south,  or  toward  the 
north,  in  the  place  where  the  tree  falleth,  there  shall  it  be. " 
(the  words  of  koheleth  11:3) 

npHIS  is  an  Old  Testament  parable.  The 
preacher  is  making  use  of  a  well  known  fact 
in  nature  to  make  clear  a  spiritual  truth.  The 
figure,  too  is  one  whose  significance  could  not  well 
be  escaped.  Those  to  whom  this  language  was 
addressed  could  not  possibly  fail  to  see  at  once  its 
import.  They  had  doubtless,  many  times,  seen 
the  tree,  uprooted  by  the  tempest,  falling  in  one 
direction  or  another,  and  they  knew  that  it  was 
not  only  dead,  because  its  connection  with  its 
source  of  nourishment  was  cut  off,  but  that  it  was 
perfectly  powerless  to  work  any  change  in  its  con- 
dition and  must  lie  as  it  had  fallen.  By  means  of 
this  implied  truth  the  preacher  seeks  to  impress 
the  need  of  the  present  practice  of  virtue. 

Be  full  of  charity  here  and  now,  is  certainly  the 
exhortation  that  is  intended;  for  there  will  come  a 
day  when  your  charity  cannot  be  exercised.  That 
this  is  true  will  appear  from  a  little  study  of  the 

38 


CRYSTALLIZATION  OF  CHARACTER  39 

context  which  is  closely  joined  with  the  words  of 
our  study.  "Cast  thy  bread  upon  the  waters:  for 
thou  shalt  find  it  after  many  days."  And  bread 
here  means  all  things  necessary  for  the  nourish- 
ment of  soul  and  body.  "Upon  the  waters," 
means  with  a  lavish  hand,  and  to  those  who  have 
no  prospect  of  making  a  return.  Give  a  portion, 
i.  e.,  of  thy  bread,  thy  soul  and  body  food,  to 
seven,  the  number  of  completeness,  and  to  eight, 
i.  e.,  to  even  more  than  the  number  of  complete- 
ness. It  is  as  if  He  said,  *'give  of  thy  good  to  all 
that  need,  yea,  if  such  a  thing  were  possible  to  be 
done,  give  to  more  than  all."  And  why  so  do? 
Why,  because,  "if  the  clouds  be  full  of  rain,  they 
empty  themselves  upon  the  earth."  Let  us  illus- 
trate this  in  modern  thought.  The  cloud,  in  the 
Bible,  is  significant  of  evil.  Hence  the  meaning 
is  simply  this:  when  the  times  of  evil  are  fully  ripe, 
evil  must  come;  and  all  speculations  about  this 
time  of  evil,  of  such  a  character  as  to  make  us 
miserable  and  illiberal,  are  vain.  In  short,  the 
very  argument  which  men  of  the  world  urge 
against  liberality,  viz.:  that  all  of  their  surplus 
must  be  laid  up  for  a  rainy  day,  is  just  the  argu- 
ment which  the  sage  presents  for  a  consecrated 
charity.  Be  liberal  in  your  gifts,  says  He,  and 
then  when  the  day  of  want  comes  there  will  be 
those  who  will,  in  their  turn,  because  of  good 
deeds  done  by  you  to  them,  shower  upon  you  of 
their  abundance. 


40 


THE  COMPASS 


And  then,  as  the  crowning  consideration  for  the 
doing  of  the  charitable  deed  here  and  now,  is 
presented  the  argument  of  our  text:  ''And  if  the 
tree  fall  toward  the  south,  or  toward  the  north, 
in  the  place  where  the  tree  falleth,  there  shall  it 
be."  No  charity  now,  none  then  either.  For, 
as  the  condition  of  the  tree,  after  the  fall  has  taken 
place,  must  remain  unchanged,  so  into  every  life 
there  must  come  a  time  when  the  character  shall 
have  become  fixed,  and  can  never  be  changed. 
Can  we  make  this  clear. ^  Let  us  see!  Let  us 
look  for  a  moment  at  an  analogy. 

In  nature  there  is  a  process  called  crystalliza- 
tion, by  means  of  which  every  known  substance, 
whether  in  a  liquid,  gaseous  or  soluble  condition, 
may  be  made  to  reveal  itself  in  the  deposit  of 
certain  little  crystals  from  the  solution,  or  the 
liquid  mass,  or  the  gas.  There  are,  of  course, 
thousands  of  different  kinds  of  crystals,  although 
they  may  all  be  grouped  under  six  general  heads, 
distinguished  each  from  the  other  by  the  number 
of  sides  and  angles  which  each  contains.  What 
is  the  result.^  Why  simply  this:  whenever  any 
solution,  or  gas,  or  substance  in  a  liquid  form,  is 
exposed  to  proper  conditions,  the  crystal  will  at 
once  be  deposited,  and  then  the  lynx  eye  of  the 
chemist,  with  but  little  difficulty,  will  read  the 
record  of  what  has  been  present  in  the  former 
substance  simply  by  identifying  the  crystals  which 
he  has  secured.     Each  substance  has  been  made 


CRYSTALLIZATION  OF  CHAR.'VCTER  41 

to  reveal  its  presence  by  the  crystal,  peculiar  to 
itself,  which  is  left  behind.  Just  so  in  the  forma- 
tion of  character.  Each  thought,  each  word,  each 
action  has  a  peculiarity  of  its  own,  and  it  leaves 
behind  it  its  own  record,  its  own  little  crystal 
which  shall  enter  into  the  composite  crystal  of  the 
character  of  the  individual.  Just  as  in  nature 
there  are  certain  rocks  whose  surface  never  can  be 
made  to  wear  a  smooth  or  polished  appearance, 
simply  on  account  of  the  irregular  shape  of  the 
crystals  of  the  substances  that  form  them,  so  in 
human  lives  there  are  characters  which  never  can 
be  made  to  appear  beautiful  and  finished,  simply 
because  they  are  made  up  of  the  deposits  of  so 
many  evil  deeds,  and  impure  thoughts,  and  unwise 
actions. 

In  and  about  the  region  of  the  Yellowstone 
National  Park,  there  may  be  found,  buried  many 
feet  underground,  whole  forests,  the  trees  still 
standing  upright,  root  and  branch  and  bark,  each 
retaining  its  original  structure  and  position.  But 
if,  after  one  of  these  trees  has  been  uncovered, 
you  undertake  to  chop  it  with  an  ax,  you  suddenly 
find  yourself  with  an  ax  with  no  edge  upon  it,  and 
scarcely  more  than  a  dent  made  in  the  bark  of  the 
tree.  What  is  the  explanation  of  it  ?  Why  simply 
this:  in  the  ages  long  since  gone  by,  these  forests 
were  buried  by  great  streams  of  lava,  which 
flowed  from  a  volcano  in  the  mountains  not  far 
away.     Once  buried,  they  began  slowly  to  decay; 


42  THE   COMPASS 

but  as  their  substance  wasted  slowly  away,  it  was 
just  as  slowly  replaced  by  dissolved  portions  of  the 
surrounding  rock.  And  thus  there  is  retained 
the  well  known  cellular  structure  of  the  wood, 
although  there  is  not  one  particle  of  the  wood 
there.  When  the  tree  is  split  asunder  there  is 
plainly  visible  the  grain  as  it  always  was;  and 
when  a  piece  is  broken  across  the  grain,  we  may 
see  the  rings  which  mark  each  year's  growth  when 
the  tree  was  still  an  inhabitant  of  the  upper  air. 

In  this  is  seen  a  wonderful  analogy  to  that  which 
takes  place  in  the  human  life.  At  birth,  the  child 
comes  into  the  world,  with  all  of  its  capabilities 
undeveloped,  a  little  pink  bundle  of  nerves  and 
nerve  cells  waiting  to  be  impressed.  Light  strikes 
its  eye,  and  it  experiences  one  sensation,  and  one 
part  of  its  brain  has  been  vitalized.  Sound  falls 
upon  its  ear,  and  another  nerve  has  been  set 
tingling,  and  another  portion  of  its  brain  has 
received  its  impression.  An  odor  finds  its  way 
up  the  nostrils,  and  the  knowledge  of  the  little 
one  has  been  increased  by  just  so  much.  Its  little 
fingers  come  in  contact  with  some  object,  and 
another  portion  of  its  brain  has  been  stirred  to 
activity.  Thus  the  process  goes  on,  and  thus 
knowledge  comes  and  character  is  being  formed. 
The  purity  of  the  character  will  depend  in  great 
measure  upon  the  purity  of  these  first  impressions. 
Is  it  true  that  these  effects  are  produced,  and  that 
they  are  lasting  ?     Experience  proves  it  so.     Famil- 


CRYSTALLIZATION  OF  CHARACTER  43 

iarize  a  child  from  the  moment  of  its  birth  with  the 
sound  of  beautiful  music,  and  you  are  very  likely 
to  have  a  master  musician.  Give  to  a  child  mind 
only  pure  and  noble  thoughts,  for  a  sufficient 
length  of  time,  and  you  may  be  sure  of  a  pure  and 
noble  manhood  or  womanhood,  for  the  character 
will  have  become  crystallized,  and  it  is  the  next 
thing  to  an  impossibility  for  the  individual  to 
depart  from  it. 

In  the  same  way,  acquaint  the  mind  with  low 
ideas  of  life,  and  of  morality,  and  of  God,  early  in 
life,  and  keep  dinning  these  same  ideas  into  the 
ears,  and  living  them  before  the  eyes,  of  the 
growing  child,  and  just  as  inevitably  you  will  see 
a  man  or  woman  little  better  than  the  brute  beasts, 
with  whom  there  seems  to  be,  in  fact,  some  kin- 
ship, not  even  his  own  mother's  honor  safe  in  his 
keeping,  and  with  no  thought  of  God  or  heaven. 
It  is  simply  the  law  of  nature,  the  development 
of  a  thing  after  its  kind,  the  determining  of  a 
character  by  that  which  enters  into  its  formation. 
Men  do  not  gather  grapes  from  thorn  bushes, 
nor  figs  from  thistles.  ''Train  up  a  child  in  the 
way  in  which  he  should  go,  and  when  he  is  old  he 
will  not  depart  from  it."  The  Romish  priest  but 
asks  that  he  have  the  child  until  it  is  nine  years  of 
age,  and  he  is  not  afraid  of  its  ever  becoming  any- 
thing other  than  a  Catholic.  In  this  respect  he  is 
infinitely  wiser  than  are  we.  We  allow  our  child- 
ren to  run  loose,  or  else  we  delegate  their  training 


44  THE   COMPASS 

to  others  who,  perhaps,  may  be  totally  unfit  for 
their  office.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  we  see  the 
results  which  do  present  themselves?  For  the 
sake  of  those  whom  we  love,  do  not  let  us  jeer  at 
this  truth,  or  pass  it  lightly  by!  For  he  who 
mocks  here  mocks  in  the  face  of  God,  and  he  who 
passes  Hghtly  by,  neglects  one  of  the  most  fearful 
laws  of  God,  in  its  consequences.  "Now  if  any 
man  build  upon  this  foundation  gold,  silver, 
precious  stones,  wood,  hay,  stubble;  every  man's 
work  shall  be  made  manifest,  for  the  day  shall 
declare  it,  because  it  shall  be  revealed  by  fire; 
and  the  fire  shall  try  every  man's  work  of  what 
sort  it  is.  If  any  man's  work  abide,  he  shall  re- 
ceive a  reward.  If  any  man's  work  shall  be 
burned;  he  shall  suffer  loss;  but  he  himself  shall  be 
saved;  yet  so  as  by  fire." 

Will  we  have  all  of  our  work  to  be  consumed 
and  count  for  naught.^  Will  we  be  satisfied  simply 
to  get  within  heaven's  gate,  and  nothing  more? 
Will  we  serve  Satan  and  the  world  until  our 
characters  are  all  worn  and  threadbare  and  mil- 
dewed, and  then  bring  them  to  Him,  and  ask  Him 
to  accept  such  rubbish  ?  Will  not  rather  a  glorious 
ambition  consum.e  us,  and  goad  us  on  to  strenuous 
effort  in  the  Master's  name,  in  order  that  we, 
having  turned  many  to  righteousness,  may  shine 
as  the  brightness  of  the  firmament,  and  as  the 
stars  forever  and  ever?  The  mind  can  conceive 
of  no  destiny  more  terrible,  no  curse  more  blasting, 


CRYSTALLIZATION  OF  CHARACTER  45 

than  that  of  coming  to  the  end  of  life  with  no  work 
that  shall  remain,  and  of  entering  into  the  presence 
of  the  Judge  bringing  no  sheaves  with  us. 

"Must  I  go,  and  empty  handed? 
Must  I  meet  my  Saviour  so? 
Not  one  soul  with  which  to  greet  Him! 
Must  I  empty  handed  go?" 

Yes,  you  must,  if  you  build  up  a  character  out  of 
poor  and  perishable  material,  so  that  when  it  is 
tried  in  the  fire,  it  will  be  all  consumed. 

Prof.  John  B.  DeMotte  in  his  wonderful  lecture 
on  The  Harp  of  the  Senses,  or  The  Secret  of  Character 
Building,  used  to  tell  of  an  incident  which  once 
fell  under  his  own  personal  observation.  On  a 
certain  evening  he  was  to  lecture  in  a  distant  city. 
The  time  had  just  about  come  for  the  opening  of 
the  evening's  program  when  he  noticed  a  big, 
handsome  young  man,  who  was  occupying  a 
reserved  seat  well  forward  in  the  building,  get  up 
and  leave  the  room.  His  curiosity  was  aroused, 
and,  being  a  student  of  human  nature,  he  at  once 
surmised  that  here  might  be  something  of  value 
to  him.  He  accordingly  shadowed  the  young  man 
and  saw  him  finally  go  into  a  ten  cent  museum 
frequented  only  by  the  lowest  characters  and  the 
vilest  spectacular  shows.  He  was  interested  to 
know  why  a  young  man  of  such  a  frank  and  manly 
appearance  should  leave  a  high  class  entertainment 


46  THE  COMPASS 

and  go  to  such  a  place,  and,  accordingly,  the  next 
day  he  took  the  necessary  means  to  secure  an 
interview  with  the  young  man.  It  was  as  he 
suspected,  and  this  is  the  story:  Some  years  before, 
the  young  man,  then  only  a  boy,  had  been  enticed 
by  some  companions  into  one  of  these  places  of 
low  resort,  and  the  scenes  there  presented  had 
taken  their  hold  upon  his  mind  and  brain.  He 
wanted  to  go  again.  He  went.  Finally  there 
came  a  day  when  he  realized  that  he  was  doing 
himself  an  injury,  and  he  tried  hard  to  stop,  but 
he  could  not.  On  the  evening  mentioned  above, 
he  had  gone  to  the  lecture  with  the  full  intention 
of  remaining  through  it;  but  as  the  hour  for  the 
opening  of  his  customary  places  of  amusement 
approached,  something,  to  use  his  own  expression, 
seemed  to  take  hold  of  him,  lift  him  bodily  out  of 
his  seat,  and  turn  his  feet  across  the  avenue  to  his 
accustomed  haunts.  That  young  man,  with  tears 
in  his  eyes,  begged  of  Prof.  DeMotte  that  he  would 
give  his  message  to  all  young  men  and  warn  them 
against  following  in  his  footsteps. 

And  what  was  the  explanation  of  his  action.^ 
Why  simply  that,  by  continued  catering  to  a 
depraved  taste  he  had  allowed  it  to  become  his 
master,  and  he  was  a  hopeless  slave.  How  had 
this  result  been  reached.^  By  action,  long  con- 
tinued and  oft  repeated,  upon  the  sensitive  matter 
of  the  brain  and  the  nerves,  until  they  had  come 
to  the  point  at  which  their  action  was  no  longer 


CRYSTALLIZA  riON  OF  CHARACTER  47 

voluntary  but  reflex,  no  longer  the  slave  of  the 
will,  but  its  masters.  Will  this  take  place  along 
such  a  line  only?  Oh,  no!  It  will  take  place 
along  any  line.  Science  plainly  has  demonstrated 
that  a  certain  part  of  the  brain  may  be  taken  away 
and  the  patient  will  no  longer  hear.  A  different 
part  removed  will  destroy  the  sense  of  taste;  still 
another  the  sense  of  smell;  another  the  sense  of 
touch,  sight,  etc.  What  does  this  mean?  It 
means  that  there  are  certain  portions  of  the  brain, 
practically  distinct  from  every  other,  which  re- 
spond to  certain  sensations.  Develop  these  por- 
tions of  the  nervous  mass  and  you  determine 
almost  beyond  alteration  the  character  of  the 
person  in  question.  Oh,  that  I  could  make  this 
to  appear,  and  that  I  could  impress  the  terrific 
consequences  which  the  truth  involves!  Why, 
my  dear  friends,  it  is  nothing  less  than  a  matter 
of  life  and  death,  and  for  eternity  at  that! 

Some  of  you  play  the  piano  or  organ.  Do  you 
not  remember  the  first  painful  efforts,  how  slowly 
and' laboriously  you  picked  out  the  keys?  But 
now  your  fingers  travel  over  the  keys  without 
apparently  so  much  as  thought  on  your  part. 
You  do  not  have  to  look  at  the  keyboard,  they 
find  the  proper  places  for  themselves.  What  is 
the  explanation?  Why,  at  the  first,  every  effort 
required  a  distinct  action  of  the  will;  but  now,  by 
long  continued  practice,  you  have  come  to  the 
place  where  action  of  the  will  is  not  necessary. 


48  THE   COMPASS 

Your  trained  muscles  do  the  thing  of  their  own 
accord.  This  is  reflex  action,  and  you  could  do 
it  just  as  well  with  your  eyes  shut,  or  even  in  your 
sleep.  Some  of  you  are  acquainted  with  the  click 
of  the  knitting  needle!  Can  you  not  bear  me  out 
in  this  same  truth  in  regard  to  the  mother's  homely 
art.f^  Som.e  of  you  have  solved  the  equation  of 
equilibrium,  and  are  able  to  perform  the,  at  one 
time  considered,  impossible  feat  of  riding  on  two 
wheels,  one  of  which  is  placed  directly  in  front 
of  the  other.  Recall  your  first  experience,  and 
then  think  of  your  present  ease  and  pleasure. 
This  law  which  I  have  been  trying  to  enforce  is  at 
work  here,  and  you  can  now  sit  on  the  wheel  and 
ride  with  as  little  thought  or  concern  as  when 
you  are  walking  along  the  pathway  or  riding  in 
the  railway  carriage.  Reflex  action  again,  and 
it  makes  no  difference  how  long  you  may  disuse 
your  new  power,  it  will  remain  with  you.  Once 
learned  it  is  learned  forever:  it  has  become  a  part 
of  your  nature,  your  character. 

With  these  thoughts,  to  show  how  character 
may  become,  nay  must  become,  unchangeable, 
we  must  turn  our  attention  for  the  few  remaining 
minutes  to  certain  i4eas  presented  by  the  text: 

First,  the  fact  that  the  tree  falls  suggests  the 
necessity  of  death. 

Second,  the  fact  that  one  tree  falls  toward  the 
south  and  another  toward  the  north  suggests  that 
in  death  there  are  differences  of  destiny. 


CRYSTALLIZAl  ION  OF  CHARACTER  49 

Third,  the  fact  that  every  tree  lies  as  it  falls 
suggests  that  there  is  an  existence  after  death, 
but  that  in  that  life  there  can  be  no  change  of 
character.  As  we  are  when  the  dark  angel  comes 
to  bear  us  away  on  his  pinions,  so  shall  we  be 
forever  and  forever. 

First,  the  fact  of  death  is  the  saddest  and  most 
certain  in  our  experience.  The  changes  which  we 
see  ever  around  us,  in  nature  animate  and  inani- 
mate, in  those  whom  we  esteem  our  friends  and 
long  to  have  remain  with  us,  proclaim  the  cer- 
tainty of  a  day  when  this  mortal  life  shall  cease 
for  each  of  us.  Too  often  the  song,  on  account  of 
this  thought,  is  in  the  minor  key. 

"When  thoughts 
Of  the  last  bitter  hour  come  like  a  blight 
Over  thy  spirit,  and  sad  images 
Of  the  stern  agony,  and  shroud,  and  pail. 
And  breathless  darkness,  and  the  narrow  house, 
Cause  thee  to  shudder  and  grow  sick  at  heart: — 
Go  forth  under  the  open  sky,  and  list 
To  Nature's  teachings,  while  from  all  around — 
Earth  and  her  waters,  and  the  depths  of  air — 
Comes  a  still  voice — Yet  a  few  days,  and  thee 
The  all-beholding  sun  shall  see  no  more 
In  all  his  course;  nor  yet  in  the  cold  ground, 
Where  thy  pale  form  was  laid,  with  many  tears, 
Nor  in  the  embrace  of  ocean,  shall  exist 
Thy  image.     Earth  that  nourished  thee,   shall 
claim 


50  THE  COMPASS 

Thy  growth,  to  be  resolved  to  earth  again, 

And,  lost  each  human  trace,  surrendering  up 

Thine  individual  being,  shalt  thou  go 

To  mix  forever  with  the  elements, 

To  be  a  brother  to  the  insensible  rock 

And  to  the  sluggish  clod,  which  the  rude  swain 

Turns  with  his  share,  and  treads  upon. " 

*'E'en  the  paths  of  glory  lead  but  to  the  grave." 
Some  day  the  silver  cord  must  be  loosed,  the 
golden  bowl  be  broken,  the  pitcher  be  broken  at 
the  fountain,  and  the  wheel  at  the  cistern,  and 
man  will  go  to  his  long  home.  Therefore,  since 
the  day  must  come,  be  prepared  for  it.  ''What 
1  say  unto  you,  I  say  unto  all;  watch!" 

Second,  differences  of  destiny  at  death!  Upon 
what  do  these  differences  depend.^  Not  upon 
worldly  position  or  honor,  for  the  grave  is  no 
respecter  of  persons.  With  no  sign  of  special 
favor  for  either  class,  she  opens  her  yawning 
mouth  and  receives  alike  the  high  and  the  lowly, 
the  mighty  king  and  the  peasant.  "Dust  thou 
art  and  unto  dust  thou  shalt  return,"  is  the  word 
repeated  over  every  form  alike.  Not  upon 
riches  or  poverty,  for  naked  came  we  into  the 
world,  and  naked  shall  we  depart  from  it.  "Thou 
fool,  this  night  thy  soul  shall  be  required  of  thee; 
then  whose  shall  those  things  be  which  thou  hast 
provided.^"  Evidently  search  must  be  made 
elsewhere  for  the  secret  of  these  differences!     "He 


CRYSTALLIZATION  OF  CHARACTER  51 

that  walketh  righteously,  and  speaketh  uprightly; 
he  that  despiseth  the  gain  of  oppressions,  that 
shaketh  his  hands  from  holding  bribes,  that 
stoppeth  his  ears  from  the  hearing  of  blood,  and 
shutteth  his  eyes  from  seeing  evil;  he  shall  dwell 
on  high:  his  place  of  defense  shall  be  the  munitions 
of  rocks:  bread  shall  be  given  him;  his  waters  shall 
be  sure."  "Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father, 
inherit  the  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the 
foundations  of  the  world."  "Depart  ye  cursed, 
ye  workers  of  iniquity,  into  everlasting  fire  pre- 
pared for  the  Devil  and  his  angels."  Yes,  char- 
acter tells  the  tale:  character  turns  the  scale  in 
the  balance.  Therefore,  with  all  thy  getting,  get 
character,  and  that  of  pure  gold,  tried  in  the  fire 
and  precious. 

Third,  life  after  death,  but  character  unchange- 
able !  When  comes  the  last  sleep,  the  fate  is  sealed, 
the  destiny  is  fixed  for  aye.  "There  is  no  re- 
pentance in  the  grave  whither  thou  goest. "  This 
is  inspiration's  way  of  dismissing  the  subject  once 
and  for  all.  If  there  is  no  repentance  there  can 
be  no  improvement.  If  there  is  no  improvement, 
there  cannot  possibly  be  any  final  attainment  to 
holiness,  which  is  absolutely  necessary  to  him 
who  would  see  God.  "He  that  is  unjust,  let  him 
be  unjust  still.  And  he  that  is  filthy,  let  him  be 
filthy  still.  And  he  that  is  righteous,  let  him  do 
righteousness  still.  And  he  that  is  holy,  let  him 
be  holy   still."     "And,   behold,   I   come  quickly; 


52  THE  COMPASS 

and  my  reward  is  with  me,  to  give  to  every  man 
according  as  his  work  shall  be. " 

There  can  be  no  word  plainer  in  meaning  than 
this.  What  we  are  here  we  shall  be  hereafter. 
What  we  delight  to  do  here  we  shall  be  compelled 
to  do  hereafter.  Consider,  then,  thy  ways!  Are 
you  a  sinner  now.^  Do  you  want  to  continue  in 
sin  forever.^  If  not,  there  is  only  one  way  to 
escape  from  it,  one  thing  to  be  done:  "Cease  to 
do  evil,  learn  to  do  well,  and  it  shall  be  well  with 
thee. "  Are  you  walking  in  the  paths  of  righteous- 
ness, and  is  it  a  delight  for  your  feet  to  run  in  the 
ways  of  His  commandments  ?  This  is  well :  a  like 
reward  awaits  you,  if  only  you  grow  not  weary 
in  well  doing,  and  faint  not.  "Blessed  are  they 
that  do  his  commandments,  that  they  may  have 
right  to  the  tree  of  life,  and  may  enter  in  through 
the  gates  into  the  city!" 


IV 

The  Sure  Foundation 

''^  For  other  foundation  can  no  man  lay  than  that  is  laid, 
zvhich  is  Jesus  Christ. " 

(saint  PAUL,  I  Corinthians,  3:11) 

""^TO  building  can  stand  without  a  foundation. 
-^  Upon  the  truth  of  this  statement  all  will  at 
once  agree.  There  will  also  be  unanimous  con- 
sent to  the  further  truth  that  no  building  can  be 
of  a  permanent  character  without  a  good  founda- 
tion. It  matters  not  what  may  be  the  materials 
of  which  the  superstructure  is  to  be  composed;  it 
matters  not  how  great  may  be  the  differences  of 
opinion  as  to  the  most  beautiful  style  of  building, 
or  the  most  artistic  style  of  decoration — the 
materials  may  the  lightest  of  pine  or  hemlock,  or 
the  massive  block  of  granite;  the  style  may  be 
that  of  the  ancient  Byzantine  castle,  rising  tower 
upon  tower  to  the  dizzy  heights,  or  the  modern, 
steel-ribbed,  ethereal  looking  sky  scraper — be  the 
differences  of  opinion  on  these  matters  what  they 
may,  there  is  sure  to  be  one  on  which  all  will  be 
agreed:  the  foundation  must  be  laid  deep  and 
broad,  and,  if  possible,  upon  a  rock. 

53 


54  THE  COMPASS 

Not  only  do  we  find  this  fact  recognized  among 
builders  of  buildings,  but  we  hear  it  uttered  by 
the  lips  of  the  inspired  teacher,  Mary's  Son,  as 
He  taught  the  multitudes  upon  the  bleak  Judean 
hillsides.  *'He  that  is  wise  is  like  unto  a  man 
who  built  his  house  upon  a  rock;  and  the  rains 
descended,  and  the  floods  came,  and  beat  upon 
that  house,  and  it  fell  not,  because  it  was  founded 
upon  a  rock.  But  he  that  is  unwilling  to  do  the 
words  of  the  Son  of  Man  is  like  to  a  foolish  man 
who  built  his  house  upon  the  sands  by  the  river 
bank.  And  the  rains  descended,  and  the  floods 
came,  and  the  winds  blew  and  beat  upon  that 
house,  and  it  fell;  and  great  was  the  fall  of  it." 
For  it  was  built  upon  the  sand,  and  had  no  sure 
foundation. 

The  Apostle  takes  this  truth  and  translates  it 
into  the  language  of  religion.  Life  is  a  building. 
It  must  have  its  foundation.  Faith,  character, 
must  have  something  upon  which  they  can  rest. 
This  something,  this  sure  foundation  which  is  de- 
manded, says  Paul,  is  found  in  Jesus  Christ. 
'* Other  foundation  can  no  man  lay  than  that  is 
laid,  which  is  Jesus  Christ."  Other  foundation.'' 
No,  not  one!  In  all  this  wide,  round  world  there 
is  not  one  thing  which  can  take  the  place  of  the 
Rock  of  Ages  as  the  resting  place  for  all  that  is 
dear  and  lasting  in  our  lives.  For  more  than 
nineteen  hundred  years  the  writer  of  these  words 
has  been  mouldering  in  the  dust,  yet  in  all  that 


THE   SURE   FOUNDATION  55 

time  they  have  not  been  disproved,  but  rather 
strengthened  In  their  hold  upon  the  minds  of  men. 
The  great  numbers  of  those  who  have  proved 
their  truthfulness  by  actual  experience  and  ex- 
periment has  increased  year  by  year,  and  century 
by  century.  Men  have  tried  to  build  upon  other 
foundations,  but  when  the  rains  descended  and 
the  thunders  roared,  and  the  lightnings  flashed, 
and  the  winds  swept  hurricane-like  over  the  plain, 
the  frail  edifices  of  man's  contriving  vanished  in 
the  swirl  of  the  angry  waters.  The  little  lights 
of  man's  kindling  have  burned  brightly  for  a  little 
time,  only  at  last  to  go  out  in  the  blackness  of 
darkness.  But  high  out  of  the  midst  of  the  sound- 
ing deep,  shining  clear  and  steadfast  through  the 
awful  gloom,  rises  the  lighthouse  of  God's  word, 
founded  upon  the  eternal  Rock.  And  forever 
and  forever,  the  light  shall  shine  on,  the  light- 
house shall  remain  unshaken,  lifted  high  above 
the  wrecks  of  the  ages,  rising  clear  of  the  sands  of 
time,  "like  a  crown  of  towers,"  a  city  that  hath 
foundations,  whose  builder  and  whose  maker  is 
God. 

"My  hope  is  built  on  nothing  less 
Than  Jesus'  blood  and  righteousness; 
I  dare  not  trust  the  sweetest  frame, 
But  wholly  lean  on  Jesus'  name. 


56  THE  COMPASS 

"When  darkness  veils  His  lovely  face, 
ril  rest  on  His  unchanging  grace; 
Through  every  high  and  stormy  gale, 
My  anchor  holds  within  the  vale. 

"His  oath,  His  covenant,  His  blood. 
Support  me  in  the  whelming  flood; 
When  all  around  my  soul  gives  way. 
He  then  is  all  my  hope  and  stay. 

"On  Christ,  the  Solid  Rock  I  stand; 
All  other  ground  is  sinking  sand. 
All  other  ground  is  sinking  sand. " 

It  is  now  our  duty  to  take  the  measure  of  this 
foundation  which  is  laid  for  us:  to  find  out  how 
deeply,  and  broadly,  and  solidly,  and  wisely 
provision  has  been  made  for  our  future  building. 
In  what  sense  is  Jesus  Christ  the  only  foundation 
that  is  laid  for  men  ?  We  might  answer  in  a  word 
by  saying  that  he  is  such  in  all  senses:  in  every 
way  possible  for  human  thought  to  conceive  or 
human  language  to  express.  But  such  a  way  of 
dismissing  the  subject  would  be  far  from  satisfac- 
tory, and  it  would  come  far  short  of  fulfilling  our 
purpose  in  this  study. 

It  may  be  remarked,  therefore,  first  of  all,  that 
Jesus  Christ  is  the  foundation  of  an  intelligent  and 
reasonable  faith.  His  person.  His  nature,  His 
work,  in  short,  Christ  Himself,  underlie  all  true 


THE   SURE   FOUNDATION  57 

theology.  In  fact,  in  the  light  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, we  might  almost  throw  away  the  old  term 
"theology,"  and  adopt  the  new  one,  "Christ- 
ology. "  Without  Him  we  cannot  accomplish  the 
task  which  Milton  set  before  himself:  "assert 
eternal  Providence  and  justify  the  ways  of  God  to 
men. "  We  must  believe  in  a  divine  Redeemer — 
there  is  no  recourse  left  us — or  the  moral  govern- 
ment of  the  universe  becomes  one  dark  and  con- 
fused labyrinth,  a  mystery  of  mysteries,  "a  mighty 
maze  and  all  without  a  plan. "  The  problem  of  the 
existence  of  evil  in  a  world  that  is  under  the  rule 
of  an  absolutely  good  God,  cannot  be  solved,  and 
the  moral  character  of  God  becomes  no  more 
than  a  mockery  to  our  consciences,  unless  we  can 
find  somewhere  a  personal,  saving,  redeeming 
revelation  of  the  divine  love  in  the  same  world 
into  which  sin  has  been  allowed  to  find  its  way. 
As  another  has  phrased  it: 

"Till  God  in  human  flesh  I  see 
My  thoughts  no  comfort  find; 
The  holy,  just,  and  sacred  Three 
Are  terrors  to  my  mind." 

But  just  here  comes  in  the  blessed  truth  of  which 
we  learn  so  satisfyingly  in  another  place  in  the 
writings  of  the  Apostle:  "God — He  who  said,  let 
light  shine  out  of  darkness — hath  shined  in  our 
hearts  to  give  us  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of 


58  THE  COMPASS 

the  glory  of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ." 
Given  this,  and  the  key  to  the  problem's  solution 
is  in  our  keeping. 

But  why  is  it,  then,  that  men  do  not  more 
generally  grasp  the  meaning  of  this  unmatched 
truth  as  they  think  along  the  lines  of  theology.? 
I  will  attempt  to  make  this  plain.  The  trouble  is 
simply  this:  that  those  who  have  made  systems 
of  doctrine  about  God,  even  those  who  have  loved 
and  firmly  believed  in  this  revelation  of  God  in 
Christ,  have  made  this  revelation  a  kind  of  supple- 
ment, i.  e.,  a  iiller-in  or  a  filler-out,  as  you  may 
desire  to  look  at  it,  instead  of  making  it  the  founda- 
tion of  their  thought.  Reasoning  from  their  own 
ideas  of  infinity,  omnipresence,  omnipotence, 
omniscience,  of  justice,  goodness  and  mercy,  they 
have  laid  down  the  conditions  under  which  these 
various  attributes  are  to  be  exercised,  and  then 
have  told  us  what  God  must  be.  They  have 
mapped  out  to  their  own  satisfaction  the  scope  of 
predestination  and  foreknowledge,  and  then  have 
tried  to  make  God  conform  to  this  schedule. 
They  have  explained,  with  much  show  of  learning, 
the  mystery  of  the  sacraments  and  the  uses  of  the 
means  of  grace,  and  then,  in  the  great  and  complex 
system  they  have  found  a  place,  a  little  nook,  for 
Christ,  and,  perhaps  unconsciously,  they  have 
carved  Him  so  as  to  make  Him  fit  into  it.  This  is 
just  the  very  reverse  of  the  proper  way.  The  true 
method  is  first  to  accept  Christ  as  He  is  plainly 


THE   SURE   FOUNDATION  59 

revealed  to  us  in  the  Gospel,  and  then  to  fit  our 
theology  to  Him.  He  is  the  foundation  already 
laid,  and  in  this,  as  in  every  case,  the  building 
must  be  conformed  to  the  shape  and  size  and 
structure  of  the  foundation.  The  love  and  mercy 
of  Christ  are  God's  love  and  mercy.  There  is  no 
predestination  apart  from  Christ.  The  fore- 
knowledge of  God  is  summed  up  and  centered  in 
Him;  for  He  is  Christ,  the  word  of  God  and  the 
wisdom  of  God.  The  sacraments  are  but  signs 
and  seals  of  His  love,  and  they  receive  their  efficacy 
from  Him;  while  the  means  of  grace  are  simply 
the  channels  through  which  we  partake  of  Him. 
Thus  our  theology  becomes  Christ-centered,  and 
our  faith  rests  upon  the  immovable,  rock  founda- 
tion prepared  for  it. 

What  is  the  result.^  Why,  our  faith  becomes 
sure  and  steadfast.  Christ,  it  is  true,  does  not 
offer  us  a  knowledge  of  God  nearly  so  full,  or  so 
large,  as  that  presented  by  many  man-made 
systems.  But  it  has  this  advantage  over  every 
other  system  that  may  be  presented, — it  has  in  it 
no  speculation,  but  simply  solid  fact.  It  has  in  it 
nothing  metaphysical  and  hard  to  understand; 
but  it  is  simple,  fitted  to  the  abilities  of  our  finite 
minds,  adapted  exactly  to  the  vital  needs  of  our 
faith.  It  is  a  chain  dependent,  not  upon  logical 
sequence  of  thought,  and  so  liable  to  be  easily 
broken;  but  it  is  dependent  upon  the  spontaneous 
order  of  a  real  life — a  life  of  true  communion  with 


6o  THE  COMPASS 

the  Father  through  the  Son,  and  hence  it  is  a 
chain  flexible  and  unbreakable,  though  firm. 
Christ  leaves  many  things  untold,  many  mysteries 
unsearched;  but  it  is  better  so,  for  with  our  finite 
minds  we  could  not  bear  them  now.  But  He  has 
told  us  enough;  for  our  salvation,  our  knowledge 
is  complete. 

Again,  Christ  is  the  only  foundation  of  a  living 
faith — a  faith  which  has  in  itself  power  to  right 
and  purify  its  own  life.  Thus  it  is  enabled  to 
explode  those  fallacies  and  false  elements  of  doc- 
trine which  the  world  is  ever  trying  to  engraft 
upon  Christianity.  Here  are  found  superstitions 
and  perversions  of  the  truth,  and  assumptions  con- 
trary to  the  plain  teachings  of  the  truth.  Here 
are  found  cruel  and  unworthy  conceptions  of  the 
character  of  God.  Here  are  found  practices, 
nominally  Christian,  but  in  reality  totally  opposed 
to  the  spirit  of  Christianity  and  of  her  King. 
These,  one  and  all,  a  faith  founded  upon  Christ  at 
once,  and  without  hesitation,  rejects.  Look  at 
the  great  reforms  in  religion:  the  occasions  of 
great  purification  and  revival.  By  whom  have 
they  been  originated?  By  men  like  Paul,  like 
Martin  Luther,  like  St.  Francis  of  Assissi,  like 
John  Wesley — men  whose  whole  life  moral,  in- 
tellectual, and  spiritual  was  builded  upon  the 
personal  contact  with  the  life  of  Christ. 

Once  more:  the  faith  built  upon  Jesus  Christ 
takes  away  every  objection  urged  against  religion 


THE   SURE   FOUNDATION  6i 

on  the  ground  of  false  Ideas  of  God,  His  relation 
to  the  world  and  to  men.  Many  of  these  objec- 
tions are  natural,  in  the  sense  that  the  very  con- 
stitutions of  our  minds  compel  us  to  urge  them. 
These  all  flee  from  the  face  of  faith  as  it  is  in  Jesus 
Christ.  Says  a  great  writer:  ''The  God  whom 
we  see  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  know  through  Jesus 
Christ,  commends  Himself  to  bad  men  as  well  as 
to  good  men. "  We  will  not,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
be  able  to  persuade  all  men  to  believe  in  God, 
and  to  love  Him,  and  to  give  Him  service.  But, 
if  we  faithfully  and  tactfully  present  Him  to  the 
minds  of  men,  as  He  is  revealed  in  the  face  of  the 
Son  of  Man,  there  will  be  none  who  will  not  be  at 
once  ready  and  willing  to  acknowledge  that  here 
is  a  God  who  is  worthy  of  his  most  unquestioning 
faith,  and  his  most  ardent  love,  and  his  most 
zealous  service. 

In  the  second  place:  Jesus  Christ  is  the  founda- 
tion of  the  Gospel  of  hope  for  the  world.  If  we 
remove  Jesus  Christ,  the  foundation  of  the  Gospel 
is  gone,  and  your  faith  is  vain,  and  our  preaching 
also  is  in  vain.  The  message  which  we  proclaim 
has  become  foolishness,  not  only  to  the  Greeks, 
but  to  all  men.  This  was  the  point  that  was  most 
prominently  in  the  mind  of  Paul  as  he  wrote  this 
letter.  Into  his  beloved  church  at  Corinth  other 
preachers  had  come,  working  by  entirely  new 
methods,  and,  as  he  feared,  building  upon  a  new 
foundation.     Personal    considerations    had    been 


62  THE  COMPASS 

introduced,  and  loyalty  to  certain  factions,  rather 
than  to  the  Church  as  the  body  of  Christ,  had 
been  emphasized,  until  on  all  sides  were  to  be  heard 
the  cries,  "I  am  of  Paul,"  and  "I  of  Cephas," 
and  "I  of  Apollos,"  and  "I  of  Christ!"  The 
emphasis  was  wrong.  The  foundation  was  mis- 
placed and  out  of  plumb.  The  superstructure  was 
splitting,  and  the  Church  seemed  about  to  go  to 
pieces.  Paul  was  aroused  into  the  most  intense 
earnestness,  and  in  this  spirit  remonstrates  and 
reasons  with  his  beloved  converts:  "Other  founda- 
tion can  no  man  lay  than  that  is  laid,  which  is 
Jesus  Christ."  "Who  is  Paul.?  And  who  is 
Apollos.?  but  ministers  by  whom  ye  believed.?" 
I,  Paul,  planted!  Apollos  watered;  but  God  gave 
the  increase.  So  neither  is  he  that  planted  any- 
thing, neither  he  that  watereth,  but  God  who 
giveth  the  increase.  This  must  not  so  be  under- 
stood as  to  teach  that  the  Apostle  never  preached 
upon  any  subject  but  the  person  of  Christ.  This 
we  must  never  say.  His  sympathies  were  too 
wide,  his  grasp  of  the  truth  too  broad  for  that. 
He  dealt  with  the  mysteries  of  God's  life  before 
the  beginnings  of  time.  He  dealt  also  with  the 
relations  of  the  inanimate  world,  and  of  the  animal 
creation,  to  the  redemption  of  Christ.  No  human 
duty  was  too  small  to  demand  his  interest  and  his 
word  of  heavenly  wisdom.  He  spoke  of  the  duties 
of  the  slave,  and  of  the  slave's  master;  of  the 
citizen,  and  the  citizen's  ruler.     But  he  spoke  of 


THE   SURE  FOUNDATION  63 

all  as  centered  in  Christ,  as  founded  upon  the 
principles  of  his  conduct  and  teaching.  And  here 
is  seen  the  secret  of  the  success  of  preaching. 

There  always  has  existed  the  mistaken  idea 
about  the  limits  of  the  themes  of  the  pulpit.  Men 
have  thought  that  there  were  subjects  upon  which 
the  minister  of  Christ  was  not  called  to  speak. 
But  this  is  not  true.  Nothing  that  touches  man's 
life  is  foreign  to  the  Gospel;  nothing  beyond  the 
scope  of  its  teaching.  It  must  touch  every  spring 
of  action,  and  in  it  must  be  found  the  ultimate 
court  of  appeal  for  every  proposed  line  of  conduct. 
The  iniquity  of  the  thing  is  this:  that  many  men 
preach  Christ  as  though  He  never  had  lived.  It 
is  not  the  subject  treated  which  is  out  of  place, 
but  it  is  the  method  of  treating  it.  Everything 
which  the  preacher  touches  upon  he  must  handle 
in  the  light  which  shines  from  Bethlehem's  manger 
cradle,  and  Calvary's  uplifted  cross,  and  Joseph's 
opened  tomb.  By  the  facts  which  these  happen- 
ings bring  before  his  mind,  the  very  reason  must 
be  transformed  and  made  anew;  his  conscience 
must  again  be  illumined.  Such  a  man  is  the 
greatest  power  in  the  world  today.  He  stands 
upon  Jesus  Christ,  ''the  power  of  God." 

In  the  third  place:  Jesus  Christ  is  the  only 
foundation  of  the  moral  life.  It  is  the  end  of  the 
Gospel  to  make  men  good,  to  transform  them  by 
the  renewing  of  their  minds  into  the  image  of  Him 
whom   the  Gospel   reveals:  goodness   personified. 


64  THE   COMPASS 

The  essence  of  the  Gospel  is  the  setting  forth  of 
Jesus  Christ;  hence  it  must  follow  that  the  best 
possible  way  to  make  men  good  is  to  bind  them 
by  a  vital  and  loving  faith  to  this  same  Jesus. 
Of  course,  it  is  perfectly  well  known  that  some 
men  will  smile  skeptically  at  this,  and  say  it  is 
only  the  fancy-colored  dream  of  a  fanatic.  But 
we  are  not  dreaming  today.  Neither  are  we  deal- 
ing with  the  things  of  the  fancy,  but  with  the 
sober  facts;  and  facts  are  stubborn  things.  I  ap- 
peal to  the  intelligence  of  my  reader!  Where  do 
we  find  the  hospital  for  the  diseased,  the  maimed, 
the  blind,  the  suffering  in  any  of  a  thousand 
different  forms?  Where  do  we  find  the  asylum 
for  the  care  of  the  insane,  the  inebriate,  the  help- 
less orphan,  the  defenseless  widow?  Where  do 
we  see  the  sacred  relations  of  home  and  home  life 
exhibited  in  all  their  beauty?  Where  do  we  see 
the  nearest  possible  approach  to  that  human 
ideal  of  happiness  bound  up  in  the  three  words, 
liberty,  equality  and  fraternity?  Where  do  we 
see  governments  managed,  not  for  the  continued 
honor  and  exploiting  of  a  favored  aristocracy  or 
royal  family,  but  for  the  best  interests  of  the 
citizens  of  the  country  to  be  governed?  Is  it  not 
in  the  Christian  lands  of  today,  and  in  the  train 
of  the  missionary  of  the  cross?  The  facts  are 
undoubted  and  Indubitable.  Ponder  them,  and 
see  if  the  claim  that  has  been  made  is  too  great. 
Look  at  every  forward  step  that  has  been  taken 


THE   SURE   FOUNDATION  65 

in  the  last  nineteen  hundred  years,  and  at  the 
head  of  the  advancing  column  you  will  see  the 
banner  of  the  Cross,  and  back  of  the  onward 
movement  you  will  feel  the  mighty  impulse  of  a 
Christian  faith.  Look  at  all  the  uprisings  against 
tyranny  and  oppression,  and  injustice  and  corrup- 
tion, and  wickedness  in  whatever  form  it  has  been 
found,  and  be  the  victoiy  obtained  by  an  appeal 
to  arms,  or  by  the  more  quiet  and  less  deadly 
appeal  to  the  ballot,  still,  behind  it  all,  as  the 
moving  and  controlling  force,  you  will  find  the 
awakened  and  enkindled  sentiment  of  those  who 
acknowledge  the  law  of  Jesus  Christ  as  supreme, 
and  who  serve  Him  as  Master  and  Lord.  It  is 
superfluous  to  say,  that,  if  the  Christian  sentiment 
be  entirely  taken  away,  the  possibility  of  reform 
is  also  removed.  And  if,  after  reform  has  been 
accomplished,  that  which  caused  it  is  withdrawn, 
the  work  must  go  down  in  ruin  and  there  remain. 
It  is  not  the  intention  to  narrow  this  down  to  those 
who  are  professedly  Christian.  This  would  be 
neither  in  accord  with  the  teaching  of  Christ, 
nor  with  the  facts.  "He  that  is  not  against  us  is 
for  us, "  said  the  Master;  and  there  are  individuals, 
communities,  even  nations  who  occupy  this  very 
position.  They  silently,  but  surely,  acknowledge 
Christianity  as  the  law  of  laws,  even  though  they 
do  not  mention  the  name  of  God  in  the  constitu- 
tion of  the  state.  But  with  this  we  are  not  direct- 
ly concerned.     What  we  want  to  impress  is,  that 


66  THE  COMPASS 

the  only  security  of  a  moral  life,  in  the  individual, 
lies  in  making  Jesus  Christ  its  foundation.  And 
why  is  this  so?  Because  there  can  be  no  perma- 
nence of  character,  and  no  consistency  of  action, 
where  there  is  not  present  a  clear  and  perfect,  and 
unchangeable  ideal.  And  this  ideal  is  found  in 
Christ  alone.  History  might  be  called  upon  to 
prove  how  ideals  have  moulded  the  life  of  genera- 
tions, of  nations,  of  men  as  individuals.  But  time 
forbids,  and  we  must  hasten  to  enforce  in  only  a 
few  words  the  fourth  and  last  thought  of  our  study 
today,  viz. : 

Jesus  Christ  is  the  only  foundation  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church.  He  is  recognized  by  all  as  its  head. 
What  the  body  would  be  without  the  head,  that 
would  the  Church  be  without  Christ.  He  is  its 
chief  cornerstone.  What  a  building  would  be 
without  the  capstone  or  binder  upon  the  wall  in 
order  to  hold  all  together,  that  would  the  Church 
be  without  Jesus  Christ.  I  quote  from  Lyman 
Abbott:  ''How  beautiful  is  this  sacred  edifice:" 
''Built  upon  the  foundation  of  the  Apostles  and 
Prophets,  Jesus  Christ  Himself  being  the  chief 
cornerstone.  To  whom  coming  as  unto  a  living 
stone,  ye  also  are  builded  together  a  spiritual 
house,  a  holy  priesthood,  to  offer  up  sacrifices 
acceptable  to  God  by  Jesus  the  Christ."  With 
this  inspired  picture  of  the  Church  before  us,  let 
us  permit  our  minds  to  wander  backward  over  the 
ages  to  the  time  of  Christ,  and  imagine  ourselves 


THE   SURE   FOUNDATION  67 

as    those    who    are    walking    through    the    broad 
aisles,  and  standing  in  the  chapels,  and  kneeling 
before  the  altars  of  some  mighty  temple.     Strange 
things  will  be  seen,  and  may  cause  some  perplexity 
and  astonishment.     On  some  walls  improper  pic- 
tures  will   appear.     On   some   altars   strange   fire 
will  burn,  and  sacrifices  will  be  offered  that  are 
not  truly  of  the  nature  of  sacrifice.     But  all  these 
will  pass  away,  and  from  behind  them  will  rise  the 
mighty,  majestic  walls  of  the  completed  temple; 
and  as  we  step  within  the  vestibule  of  this  change- 
less building,  there  will  be  borne  to  our  ears  from 
a  sea  of  voices  the  words  of  the  creed  of  Christen- 
dom:   "I  believe  in  God  the    Father  Almighty, 
maker  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  in  Jesus  Christ 
His  only  Son,  our  Lord,  who  was  conceived  by  the 
Holy  Ghost,  born  unto  the  Virgin  Mary,  suffered 
under   Pontius    Pilate,    was    crucified,    dead    and 
buried;  He  descended  into  hell;  the  third  day  He 
rose  again  from  the  dead;  He  ascended  into  heaven, 
and  sitteth  on  the  right  hand  of  God  the  Father 
Almighty.     From  thence  He  shall  come  to  judge 
the  quick  and  the  dead."     And  just  here  a  chant 
sweeter  than  angels'  voices  breaks  forth   among 
the  throng,  and  swells  in  mighty  volume:  ''The 
Holy  Church  throughout  all  the  world  doth  ac- 
knowledge thee,  the  Father  of  an  infinite  majesty. 
Thine  adorable,  true  and  only  Son,  also  the  Holy 
Ghost,    the    Comforter.     Thou    art    the    King   of 
Glory,  O  Jesus  Christ, — Thou  art  the  everlasting 
Son  of  the  P'ather!" 


V 
The  Man  Beside  Himself 

^'  And  when  he  came  to  himself. ^^ 

(saint  LUKE  15:17) 

T  have  read  somewhere  the  description  of  a 
ruined  castle  in  the  mountain  fastnesses  of 
Bavaria.  It  seems  to  be  a  fitting  parable  of  what 
is  meant  in  the  language  of  our  text.  The  castle 
once  had  been  the  home  of  one  of  Bavaria's  most 
princely  families;  but  sin  had  come  into  the  life 
of  one  of  its  owners,  and  had  so  embittered  for  him 
the  memories  of  his  home  that  he  abandoned  it 
and  went  to  live  and  roam  in  more  friendly  climes. 
The  castle,  thus  left  without  its  occupants,  fell 
into  decay,  and  finally  passed  into  the  hands  of  a 
distant  relative.  He  allowed  its  decay  to  con- 
tinue, and,  at  his  death,  bestowed  it  as  a  supposedly 
worthless  heritage  upon  a  daughter  who  had  in- 
curred his  displeasure.  Thither  she  went,  with 
her  husband  and  her  children,  to  see  what  the 
value  of  her  inheritance  might  be.  But  she  saw 
only  broken  columns,  and  dismantled  battlements, 
and  splintered  rafters,  and  falling  staircases,  and 
windows  with  their  vacant  frames  staring  as 
though  with  empty,  spectral  eyes. 

68 


THE  MAN   BESIDE  HIMSELF         69 

All  was  a  scene  of  waste  and  ruin.  The  grounds 
were  overgrown  with  rank  weeds;  vermin  had 
made  there  their  dwelling  place.  She  seemed  in 
despair  of  ever  again  making  anything  of  that 
which  had  been  given  her.  But  at  last  search 
revealed  a  wing  of  the  castle  which  had  remained 
almost  intact  in  the  midst  of  the  general  ruin. 
Here,  by  means  of  hard  labor,  she  and  her  dear 
ones  were  enabled  to  prepare  a  cosy  and  really 
beautiful  home,  well  suited  to  their  humble  needs. 
P'orth  from  the  old  castle  windows  the  lights 
flashed  cheerfully  once  again,  and  the  peasants  on 
the  surrounding  hills  said,  *'Milord  and  Milady 
are  living  in  the  ruined  castle  once  again. "  And 
there  they  lived,  year  after  year,  in  a  part  of  their 
inheritance,  with  all  around  them  the  ruins  of 
its  former  greatness  and  grandeur.  It  could  never 
be  what  it  had  once  been,  even  though  its  owners 
were  dwelling  in  it  and  filling  it  with  all  the  joys 
and  gladness  that  cluster  around  the  name  of 
home. 

The  castle  is  a  picture  of  the  life  of  men.  To 
every  one  is  given  a  magnificent  home  to  dwell  in. 
With  the  birth  of  his  soul  is  born  also  a  material 
body  for  the  soul's  indwelling.  The  two  grow 
together,  the  expanding  soul  having  always  a 
correspondingly  expanding  body  to  do  its  bidding, 
or  its  pleasure.  There  is  a  beautiful  symmetry 
and  harmony  here.  All  is  joy  and  light  and  sun- 
shine in  this  castle  of  the  soul.     But  one  day  sin 


JO  THE   COMPASS 

enters  into  this  home.  It  brings  with  it  a  strange, 
new,  thrill.  For  a  time  the  thrill  continues;  but 
suddenly  the  soul  awakes  to  find  that  the  thrill 
is  all  gone.  Bitterness  succeeds,  and  the  soul 
seeks  without  itself  to  escape  the  memories  that 
plague  continually.  The  owner  of  the  castle  is 
away  from  home.  It  is  falling  into  decay.  Days 
pass,  years  roll  by — all  has  been  tried,  and  all  has 
failed  and  turned  to  bitterness  in  the  mouth — and 
the  owner  of  the  castle  comes  home  again.  He 
linds  left  nothing  but  the  ruins  of  its  former  beauty 
and  greatness  and  grandeur.  There  are  rank 
growths  ever  obtruding  themselves  before  his 
eyes.  But  in  the  midst  of  it  all  he  finds  a  little 
citadel,  which,  though  injured  in  the  general 
wreck,  is  still  capable  of  being  repaired  and  of 
giving  his  wandering  soul  a  home  again.  There 
he  takes  up  his  dwelling.  Little  by  little  the  for- 
eign growths  around  the  castle  are  cleared  away, 
and  yet  it  serves  only  to  make  more  clear  the 
wreck  that  has  been  made  of  life,  in  the  midst  of 
which  he  must  now  live  on  forever.  Yet  there  are 
great  possibilities  there,  for  happiness,  for  the 
truest  usefulness;  for  the  soul  is  at  home  again. 
It  has  come  into  itself. 

This  is  but  the  figure  that  is  used  in  our  text 
as  it  occurs  in  the  original  language.  Literally 
translated  it  would  read,  ''and  when  he  came  into 
himself."  It  is  exactly  the  same  word  that  would 
be  used  of  a   man  entering  into  his  own  home. 


THE  MAN  BESIDE  HIMSELF         71 

Evidently  the  Master  Intends  to  teach  us  that 
the  prodigal  son  had  been  away  from  home.  We 
know  that  this  was  true  In  a  purely  physical 
sense,  for  he  Is  represented  as  leaving  his  father's 
house  and  going  away  into  a  far  country.  But 
the  home  return  that  is  spoken  of  here  is  not  the 
return  to  his  father's  house,  for  this  change  had 
taken  place  before  he  ever  thought  of  returning 
to  his  father,  and  while  he  was  still  in  the  far 
country.  It  is  pretty  evident,  therefore,  that  the 
prodigal  had  been  absent  from  home  in  some 
other  sense  which  was  of  infinitely  greater  im- 
portance than  the  sense  mentioned  above.  In 
short,  he  was  outside  himself,  and  before  he  could 
do  the  right  thing  it  was  necessary  that  he  come 
Into  himself  again.  There  are  In  every  man  two 
selves.  The  one  is  the  true  self;  the  other  is  not 
so.  The  one  self  is  base,  ignoble — of  the  earth, 
earthy.  The  true  self  Is  noble,  heaven-born, 
divine.  When  the  base,  ignoble  self — which  mani- 
fests itself  in  laziness  and  selfishness  and  weakness 
and  sensuality — is  present,  the  true  self  Is  away 
from  home.  And  when  the  true  self  comes  home 
again,  the  earth-born  sinks  into  its  true  insignifi- 
cance, and  noble  impulses  sway  and  noble  deeds 
are  done. 

In  every  calling  of  life,  before  there  can  be  any 
real  attainment,  it  is  necessary  for  the  base  self 
to  vanish  and  the  true  self  to  appear.  Isaac  New- 
ton, lying  lazily  on  his  back  under  his  father's 


72  THE  COMPASS 

apple  tree,  was  Isaac  Newton  away  from  home. 
But  Isaac  Newton  seeing  the  apple  pulled  to  the 
ground  by  the  force  of  gravitation,  and  reading 
there  the  action  of  the  law  that  binds  star  to  star 
and  earth  to  sun,  was  Isaac  Newton  at  home. 
The  philosopher  and  the  mathematician  had  been 
awakened  and  he  was  ready  for  his  life's  great  and 
lasting  work. 

U.  S.  Grant,  the  dolt  at  school,  at  home,  and  in 
the  tannery,  was  Ulysses  S.  Grant  before  he  had 
come  into  himself.  But  Ulysses  S.  Grant  at 
West  Point,  an  object  lesson  in  stolid  diligence 
and  in  ability  to  sit  any  horse  that  might  be  given 
him, — Ulysses  S.  Grant  in  the  Mexican  War, — 
Ulysses  S.  Grant  the  victor  over  the  Confederacy's 
most  gallant  and  brilliant  commanders,  yea,  the 
Lietutenant  General  of  the  forces  of  the  North, 
and  the  purchaser  of  freedom  for  a  race  in  bond- 
age, that  is  Ulysses  S.  Grant  after  he  had  come 
into  himself. 

And  so  it  is  with  all  who  attain  greatness  of 
whatever  kind.  In  every  life  there  is  the  time  of 
apparent  slumber;  then  comes  the  awakening, 
when  the  soul  of  the  man  enters  into  himself  and 
gains  possession  of  him,  and  he  is  a  new  creature. 
Here  are  other  Illustrations  of  it.  Samuel  F.  B. 
Morse  was  a  boy  just  like  other  boys.  He  grew 
up  among  his  fellows,  and  in  his  home,  bright, 
cheerful,  full  of  noise,  just  like  many  others  in  the 
same  community.     He  was  a  little  more  given  to 


THE  MAN  BESIDE  HIMSELF        73 

sober  thought,  perhaps;  but  nothing  more  than 
this  distinguished  him.  One  day  he  became  in- 
terested in  electrical  science.  His  interest  grew 
into  a  passion,  his  passion  into  a  fascination.  He 
had  entered  into  the  secret  chambers  of  his  own 
soul;  and  Samuel  F.  B.  Morse,  at  home,  gave  to 
the  world  the  electric  telegraph  which  conquers 
time  and  distance  and  makes  all  nations  kin. 

Cyrus  W.  Field  was  a  qu^et  youth,  even  more 
retiring  and  unremarked  than  the  majority  of  boys 
are  likely  to  be.  He  kept  himself  in  the  back- 
ground, and  no  one  ever  dreamed  that  in  the 
bashful  boy  there  lurked  the  man  that  should 
by  his  magnificent  works  make  a  world  his  debtor. 
But  one  day  the  awakening  came.  Shrewd  busi- 
ness ability  had  already  placed  him  at  the  head 
of  a  large  mercantile  house.  He  withdrew  from 
active  business  life,  and  began  to  live  in  retire- 
ment. He  spent  several  months  in  South  America, 
and  on  his  return  was  applied  to  for  his  help  in 
building  a  telegraph  line  across  Newfoundland  to 
the  city  of  Saint  Johns,  to  connect  there  with  a 
line  of  fast  steamers  and  bring  Britain  within  a 
week  of  America.  As  he  sat  thinking  over  the 
project,  suddenly  the  idea  flashed  through  his 
brain,  *'Why  not  carry  the  line  itself  across  the 
ocean.'"'  The  home  coming  had  arrived.  With  a 
new  interest  and  energy,  he  gave  all  of  his  tremen- 
dous sagacity  and  insight  to  the  testing  of  the  idea. 
Three  times  he  tried  it,  and  as  often  failed.     But 


74  THE   COMPASS 

he  was  a  man  of  one  idea  now,  and  naught  but 
success  could  stop  him.  The  fourth  effort  was 
made  and  proved  successfuL  Then,  to  crown  his 
success,  an  expedition  was  formed  and  sent  out 
which  repaired  and  completed  the  third  unsuccess- 
ful effort,  and  England  and  America  were  bound 
together,  not  by  one  cable  of  steel,  but  by  two, 
and  the  earliest  great  triumph  of  modern  world 
enterprise,  the  Atlantic  Cable,  was  a  reality  to 
bless  the  world.  It  came,  because  one  man  sud- 
denly came  to  himself. 

WiUiam  Ewart  Gladstone  grew  up  in  the  home, 
through  the  school,  and  in  the  college,  much  as 
other  boys.  He  engaged  in  their  sports,  was  full 
of  animal  spirits,  and  distinguished  in  naught, 
perhaps,  other  than  a  very  particular  liking  for 
the  old  classics,  and  an  ability  to  construe  them 
in  their  true  spirit.  He  graduated  with  high 
honors,  and  almost  immediately  entered  politics. 
The  finding  of  his  true  self  came  early;  for  he  was 
led  to  espouse  the  cause  of  the  people  in  the  great 
battle  which  led  to  the  repeal  of  the  Corn  Laws, 
and  from  that  day  onward  he  was  the  people's 
champion,  whether  at  home  or  in  the  colonies, 
maintaining  always  that  consistent  attitude  which 
gave  him,  though  he  was  often  defeated,  the  entire 
confidence  of  the  nation,  and  gained  for  him  the 
sobriquet,  "The  Grand  Old  Man"  of  England. 
It  was  deserved,  for  few  grander  ever  have  lived 
and  served  a  devoted  people.     He  was  enabled 


THE  MAN  BESIDE  HIMSELF  75 

to  do  this,  because  early  in  life  he  found  his  true 
self  and  his  true  mission,  and  he  always  followed 
where  they  beckoned. 

These  examples  are  few,  but  they  are  far-reach- 
ing. Newton  was  a  philosopher;  Grant  a  soldier 
and  statesman;  Morse  an  inventor;  Field  an  engi- 
neer; Gladstone  a  political  leader  and  statesman. 
In  every  line,  success  came  with  the  finding  of  the 
true  self — with  the  entrance  of  the  individual  into 
the  secret  chambers  of  his  own  mind  and  soul  and 
his  abiding  there. 

Religion  is  not  different.  It  is  only  when  we 
have  come  thus  into  our  true  heritage  as  the 
children  of  God  that  we  can  accomplish  anything 
along  the  line  of  the  religious,  heavenly  life.  The 
prodigal  must  come  into  himself  before  he  could 
make  up  his  mind  to  return  to  his  father's  house, 
confess  his  sin,  acknowledge  his  unworthiness, 
show  his  humility,  and  be  received  with  forgive- 
ness, have  special  honor  paid  to  him,  and  be  joyed 
over  as  one  come  again  from  the  dead.  But  when 
the  true  self  once  has  been  found  thus,  there  is  no 
stopping  place  for  possible  attainment.  We  come 
into  our  castle  here  when  we  first  recognize  that 
God  is  our  Father,  and  that  against  Him  we  have 
sinned  grievously;  when  we  are  willing  to  return 
to  Him  and  say,  '^ Father,  I  have  sinned  against 
heaven,  and  in  Thy  sight,  and  am  no  more  worthy 
to  be  called  Thy  son;  yet  receive  me,  I  pray  Thee, 
through  the  infinite  merit  of  thy  Beloved's  sacri- 


76  THE   COMPASS 

fice!  Let  me  be  Thy  servant,  O  Lord,  and  with 
the  strength  that  Thou  dost  give,  and  in  the  way 
that  Thou  dost  make  clear,  for  Thy  glory,  I  will 
labor  on;  for  Thine  is  the  work,  Thine  the  power, 
Thine  the  way,  and  Thine,  too,  the  glory!" 

Thus  Paul,  the  greatest  figure  in  the  world's 
history  save  one,  entered  into  himself,  when,  on 
the  road  to  Damascus,  he  cried  out  in  the  presence 
of  that  overwhelming  glory,  *'Lord,  what  wilt 
thou  have  me  to  do?"  The  persecuting  Saul  is 
not  the  same  as  the  enduring,  patient,  beheaded 
Paul.  Saul  was  the  old  man,  base,  ignoble,  earthy. 
Paul  was  the  new  man,  noble,  heaven-born,  divine. 

Thus,  too,  Augustine,  the  greatest  figure  in  the 
Church's  history  since  Paul,  came  into  himself. 
He  was  the  son  of  a  Christian  mother  and  a  heathen 
father.  Although  he  was  taught  faithfully  the 
precepts  of  the  Christian  religion  by  the  sainted 
Monica,  he  heeded  them  not,  but  began  to  tread 
in  the  ways  of  vice  and  impurity.  As  shown  by 
his  Confessions,  he  became  a  very  monster  of  iniqui- 
ty. Finally  he  came  in  contact  with  the  sainted 
Ambrose  and  listened  to  his  preaching.  But  the 
more  he  heard,  the  more  he  steeled  himself  against 
persuasion.  But  fight  against  it  as  he  would,  the 
truth  burned  its  way  into  his  mind  and  heart,  and 
he  could  find  no  peace.  One  day,  in  despair,  he 
threw  himself  down  on  the  ground  in  a  solitary 
place  in  his  garden.  There  he  seemed  to  hear  a 
voice  saying  to  him,  in  the  Latin  tongue,  '^  Tolle, 


THE   MAN   BESIDE  HIMSELF         'j^ 

legeV  "Take  up,  read!"  Surprised  beyond  mea- 
sure, he  sought  his  Bible,  opened  it  at  a  hazard, 
and  found  confronting  him  these  words:  "Let  us 
walk  honestly,  as  in  the  day;  not  In  rioting  and 
drunkenness,  not  in  chambering  and  wantonness — 
But  put  ye  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  make 
not  provision  for  the  flesh  to  fulfill  the  lusts  there- 
of. "  Instantly  the  light  broke  through  the  win- 
dows of  his  darkened  soul,  and  he  was  at  home  to 
himself.  His  understanding  was  enlightened,  his 
doubts  were  dissipated  like  the  mist  before  the 
rising  king  of  day,  his  heart  set  in  glow  by  a  flame 
of  holy  zeal  enkindled  there.  The  change  was 
Instantaneous,  and  as  marvelous  as  that  which 
came  to  Paul.  It  was  followed  by  results  scarcely 
less  remarkable.  It  was  Paul's  part  to  Impart 
the  truth  as  it  Is  in  Christ  Jesus.  It  has  been 
Augustine's  to  explain  and  systematize  that  truth 
so  that  he  who  runs  may  read  and  understand. 
This  man  is  the  father  of  modern  theology,  the 
spiritual  father  of  John  Calvin  and  John  Knox,  in 
whose  footsteps  we,  and  millions  such  as  we, 
delight  to  tread.  And  it  was  because  of  his  keen 
insight  into,  and  giant  grasp  of,  the  truth  that  we 
have  retained  to  us  the  Word,  in  all  of  its  simplici- 
ty, through  all  of  the  conflicts  and  the  darkness 
of  the  benighted  centuries,  when  error  was  ram- 
pant and  truth  seemed  crushed  to  earth,  never 
to  rise  again.  It  is  simply  Impossible  to  estimate 
what  the  modern  Christian  world  owes  to  this  one 


78  THE   COMPASS 

man.  It  is  indebted  to  him,  because  on  that  dark 
day,  in  a  secluded  part  of  his  garden,  he  entered 
into  himself — and  the  child  of  God  was  come  home 
again. 

I  suppose  that  no  more  illustrious  example  of 
this  same  truth  can  be  found  in  modern  times, 
than  the  life  of  George  Mueller,  the  founder  of  the 
Bristol  Orphanages.  In  his  earlier  years  he  was 
a  man  of  notoriously  impure  character  and  life, 
dissipation  in  all  of  its  forms  being  well  known  to 
him.  But  one  day  there  came  a  change,  and  the 
new  man  in  Christ  Jesus  entered  into  his  temple. 
Immediately  the  change  was  manifest.  He  sought 
for  opportunities  for  the  doing  of  Christian  work. 
He  was  consumed  with  a  burning  zeal.  He 
preached,  he  taught,  he  counseled — anything  that 
he  could  do  to  show  his  gratitude  to  the  Master 
who  had  brought  him  to  himself.  He  became 
convinced  of  the  power  of  faith  and  of  prayer. 
He  started  the  immense  asylum  for  orphan  child- 
ren, which  now  accommodates  more  than  two 
thousand  children,  without  one  cent  of  money  in 
sight.  But  as  it  was  needed,  it  came — in  answer 
to  his  prayers  of  faith.  It  often  came  anonymous- 
ly; but  it  came.  By  these  methods  he  was  en- 
abled to  do  a  work  as  large  and  daring  as  that 
done  by  any  man  in  generations.  No  more  re- 
markable testimonial  to  the  power  of  God  in  the 
human  life  can  be  found  than  just  the  record  of 
the  experience  of  George  Mueller,  who  had  been 


THE  MAN   BESIDE  HIMSELF         79 

wandering  on  the  barren  mountains  tor  many, 
many  days,  and  came  home  one  day  to  find  him- 
self a  child  of  God,  and  to  enter  upon  the  enjoy- 
ment of  his  inheritance  which  he  had  well  nigh 
forfeited. 

Other  names  might  be  mentioned  of  those  who 
are  well  known:  John  B.  Gough,  the  apostle  of 
temperance  to  two  continents,  the  saviour  of 
countless  multitudes  of  men  young  and  old;  Jerry 
Macaulay,  the  bright  and  shining  light  among 
the  down-trodden  thousands  of  our  great  metrop- 
olis; Sam  Hadley,  the  equally  marvelous  succes- 
sor of  Macaulay  in  his  great  work;  Melvin  Trotter, 
of  Grand  Rapids,  the  living  and  flaming  apostle 
of  the  simple  Gospel  of  Christ  for  the  saving  of 
men.  But  they  are  too  many;  we  cannot  mention 
more.  These  all  came  home  from  their  wander- 
ings, and  found  that  within  themselves  they  had 
a  temple  more  glorious  than  the  temples  of  earth; 
and  then,  in  gratitude  to  him  who  had  discovered 
themselves  to  themselves,  they  went  forth  through 
the  earth  with  tongues  of  fire,  to  warn,  to  entreat, 
to  save.  "Beloved,  now  are  we  the  sons  of  God; 
and  it  doth  not  yet  appear  what  we  shall  be;  but 
we  know  that,  when  He  shall  appear,  we  shall  be 
like  him;  for  we  shall  see  Him  as  he  is."  "And 
every  man  that  hath  this  hope  in  him,  purifieth 
himself  even  as  he  is  pure."  Beloved,  is  there 
any    wandering    one    among    you  t     Are    you    far 


8o  THE   COMPASS 

from  home  on  the  mountains?  Come  home,  O, 
I  pray  you,  and  find  in  yourself  a  child  of  God 
and  an  heir  of  heaven!  Come,  and  receive  your 
crown ! 


VI 

Christ  Our  Example 

^^ For  I  have  given  you  an  example ,  that  ye  should  do 
as  I  have  done  to  you.^^ 

(saint   JOHN    13:15) 

Ty/TACLAREN  of  Manchester  has  beautifully 
said  that  when  we  enter  upon  the  study  of 
the  thirteenth  chapter  of  John's  Gospel  we  have 
stepped  across  the  threshold  of  the  Holy  of  Holies 
of  the  New  Testament.  Up  to  this  point  the 
Master  has  been  addressing  Himself  to  the  multi- 
tudes. From  this  point  onward,  He  is  speaking 
to  His  loved  disciples  only,  in  preparation  for  the 
sadness  of  farewell  and  final  parting.  We  may 
therefore  expect  that  His  words  will  be  especially 
full  of  meaning,  and  so,  indeed,  we  find  them. 

Lying  as  a  background  behind  the  meaning  of 
the  words  of  our  study  is  all  of  the  wonderful  first 
part  of  the  chapter  from  which  it  is  taken.  We 
get  the  force  of  the  Master's  words  here  only  as 
we  first  understand  what  is  written  in  that  which 
goes  before  them.  There  are  two  pictures  which 
I  must  draw  for  you  in  order  that  you  may  under- 
stand in  any  full  measure  what  is  contained  here. 

81 


82  THE   COMPASS 

For  the  first  picture  we  must  go  to  the  story  as 
told  to  us  by  Saint  Luke.  He  shows  us  Christ 
and  the  disciples  on  their  way  up  to  the  city  of 
Jerusalem  for  the  keeping  of  the  Passover  feast, 
and,  as  they  pass  along,  the  disciples  are  disputing 
among  themselves  as  to  which  of  them  shall  be 
the  greatest  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Though 
they  have  been  in  most  intimate  relations  with 
their  Master  for  three  and  a  half  years  now,  they 
have  failed  utterly  to  understand  the  manner  of 
man  He  was  and  the  spirit  that  dwelt  in  His  heart, 
and  which  should  also  dwell  in  their  own.  Christ 
knew  of  this  unlovely  discussion,  and  reproved 
them  for  it.     This  is  the  first  picture. 

The  second  is  seen  after  they  have  reached  the 
room  that  had  been  secured  and  prepared  for 
them  in  which  to  keep  the  Passover  feast.  It  is  a 
composite  picture  in  which  we  are  given  to  see 
clearly  many  things.  The  host  had  made  prep- 
aration for  the  entertainment  of  his  guests  in  all 
things  save  one.  The  tables  for  the  meal  were 
there;  the  couches  for  their  reclining  at  ease  while 
partaking  of  it  were  there;  the  water  for  the 
cleansing  of  the  feet  of  the  travelers,  according 
to  the  well  known  oriental  custom,  and  the  towel 
for  wiping  them  were  there;  but  there  was  no 
servant  provided  for  the  performance  of  this  menial 
office  for  Christ  and  His  disciples.  The  bitter 
fruits  of  the  discussion  along  the  way  remain  with 
the  disciples,  and,  though  they  see  clearly  what 


CHRIST  OUR  EXAMPLE  83 

they  ought  to  do,  not  one  of  them  will  so  far  sur- 
render his  pride  as  to  do  it.  Peter  is  jealous  of 
James,  and  Andrew  of  Thomas,  and  all  of  them 
of  John,  the  best  beloved  disciple  of  all.  With 
lowering  looks  they  recline  about  the  room  and 
wait;  and  it  seems  as  though  they  were  going  to 
be  compelled  to  do  that  which  would  have  been  a 
very  real  sin  to  the  loyal  Hebrew:  eat  the  Passover 
meal  with  their  bodies  uncleansed.  Then  it  was 
that  the  Master  Himself  rose  from  the  table,  and 
laid  aside  His  garments;  and  took  a  towel,  and 
girded  Himself.  After  that  He  poured  water  into 
a  basin,  and  began  to  wash  the  disciples'  feet,  and 
to  wipe  them  with  the  towel  wherewith  He  was 
girded.  Why  did  He  do  it?  Is  He  setting  before 
His  disciples  an  example  that  He  intends  they 
shall  afterward  exalt  into  one  of  the  sacraments 
of  the  Church.^  There  are  those  who  think  so, 
and  so  practise.  I  do  not  think  so.  If  we  are  to 
find  the  answer  to  the  questions  that  have  been 
proposed  we  shall  be  compelled  to  look  somewhat 
more  carefully  into  the  analysis  of  that  wonderful 
background  to  which  reference  was  made  a  little 
time  ago.  As  we  look,  we  find  given  to  us  there 
the  clearest  possible  revelation  of  the  mind  of  the 
Master,  and  the  purposes  which  he  would  accom- 
plish by  this  deed.     Let  us  look  together! 

*'Now  *  *  *  ^  when  Jesus  knew  that  His 
hour  was  come  that  He  should  depart  out  of  this 
world  unto  the  Father."    The  hour  was  about  to 


84  THE   COMPASS 

strike  on  the  clock  of  destiny.  Jesus  was  acting 
in  full  consciousness  of  that  fact.  This  was  the 
time  for  words  and  acts  of  the  most  tremendous 
significance.  The  time  was  short,  and  there  was 
much  to  be  done  before  He  could  say  farewell. 
The  disciples,  into  whose  hands  He  must  commit 
all  the  future  interests  of  His  mighty  work  and 
kingdom,  must  somehow  be  made  to  understand. 
They  must  be  prepared  for  the  great  responsi- 
bilities that  were  to  be  theirs,  that  they  might  be 
able  to  bear  them  in  the  spirit  of  their  Master, 
and  successfully.  How  natural  it  is  for  us  to 
treasure  last  words;  to  give  to  them  a  special 
significance  and  sacredness.  The  Master  knew  of 
this  natural  impulse  of  the  human  heart,  and  He 
knew  how  later  every  word  and  act  of  that  night 
would  be  engraved  indelibly  upon  the  minds  and 
hearts  of  His  disciples,  and  so  He  wrote  the  sig- 
nificance of  last  words  into  these  words  which 
we  study  today. 

"Having  loved  His  own  which  were  in  the  world, 
He  loved  them  unto  the  end. "  Here  is  some  more 
of  the  background.  And  what  does  it  mean? 
Does  it  mean  that  He  loved  them  to  the  end  of 
their  lives. ^  Or  of  His  life.?  Or  of  time.f*  Or  of 
eternity.?  Yes,  it  means  all  of  these.  And  then 
it  means  an  infinity  beyond  the  point  at  which 
they  all  stop.  It  means  that  He  loved  to  the  end 
of  love.  There  is  no  point  of  love  beyond  which 
His  love  for  them  could  go.     '*I  have  loved  thcc 


CHRIST  OUR  EXAMPLE  85 

with  an  everlasting  love. "  "Yes,  and  I  have  loved 
thee  with  an  infinite,  boundless,  love."  And,  so 
loving,  there  was  no  point  to  which  He  would 
not  go  in  order  to  serve  them,  and  no  sacrifice 
that  he  could  make  that  would  not  be  a  sacred 
privilege,  if  in  any  way  he  could  serve  and  bless 
them.  So,  He  is  willing  to  become  a  servant  and 
wash  their  feet  if  only  they  will  learn  from  Him, 
and  come  to  possess  His  spirit,  and  be  fitted  for 
His  work.  Aye,  He  was  even  willing  to  go  to  the 
cross  if,  by  so  doing.  He  could  save  them  and  the 
world  that  should  afterward  believe  through  their 
word. 

"And  supper  being  ended,  the  devil  having  now 
put  into  the  heart  of  Judas  Iscariot,  Simon's  son, 
to  betray  Him."  And  what  does  that  mean  in 
such  a  connection  as  this.^  Surely  a  strange  and 
jarring  note  it  is !  Yes,  it  is,  if  not  properly  under- 
stood. But  it  is  anything  but  that,  if  we  get  its 
true  significance.  It  is  just  the  crowning  applica- 
tion of  the  words  we  were  studying  just  a  moment 
ago:  "Having  loved  His  own  which  were  in  the 
world,  He  loved  them  unto  the  end."  We  must 
never  forget  that  one  of  "His  own"  was  a  traitor 
and  a  betrayer.  He  is  simply  giving  to  the  traitor 
his  last  chance.  The  great  love  which  He  bears 
to  Judas,  who.  He  knew  full  well,  was  to  betray 
Him  with  a  kiss,  led  Him  to  demean  Himself 
before  him,  and,  as  a  servant,  to  wash  his  feet. 
He  would  say  to  him,  by  His  action  if  He  could 


86  THE  COMPASS 

not  by  His  words,  Hhis  is  what  My  love  for  you 
would  lead  Me  to  do  for  you;'  'this  is  the  manner 
of  master  you  would  treacherously  send  to  His 
death  for  a  few  paltry  pieces  of  silver;'  Vill  you 
not  repent  of  the  purpose  which  you  have  intended 
before  it  is  too  late  ?'  It  was  to  say  this  to  Judas — 
at  least  this  was  a  part  of  His  meaning — that  He 
rose,  and  took  a  towel,  and  girded  Himself,  and 
began  to  wash  the  disciples'  feet.  By  the  very 
love  which  He  bore  to  Judas,  expressing  itself  thus 
in  lowly  service  to  him.  He  would  break  the  heart 
of  the  traitor  and  turn  him  from  his  evil  purpose 
and  his  awful  end.  But  when  he  saw  that  it  was 
all  in  vain,  He  said,  'What  thou  doest,  do  quickly," 
and  Judas  went  out  into  the  blackness  of  the  night. 
"Jesus  knowing  that  the  Father  had  given  all 
things  into  His  hands,  and  that  He  was  come  from 
God,  and  went  to  God."  The  marvelous  crown 
of  it  all!  He  who  washed  the  disciples'  feet  at 
the  last  supper  was  one  who  knew  Himself  to  be, 
beyond  all  question,  the  Son  of  the  Living  God. 
And,  oh  what  a  glory  it  casts  on  the  scene,  and 
how  it  illumines  and  transfigures  every  word  and 
act  that  have  a  part  in  it!  And  what  is  more,  the 
disciples  knew  this  thing  just  as  clearly  as  did  He. 
And  the  reason  for  it  all  is  this:  their  stubborn 
wills  and  hearts  must  be  conquered;  by  whatever 
means  might  be  necessary,  they  must  be  made  to 
see  and  to  understand.  The  hour  was  already  at 
hand  in  which  the  tremendous  issues  of  His  work 


CHRIST  OUR  EXAMPLE  87 

and  kingdom  must  be  committed  to  the  hands  of 
these  few  men.  Whether  for  weal  or  for  woe, 
theirs  was  to  be  the  chief  responsibihty  for  the 
upbuilding  of  the  kingdom  of  God  among  men 
from  this  time  onward.  And  so  Jesus  was  not 
merely  cleansing  soiled  feet  there  in  the  upper 
room  that  night.  He  was  engaged  in  a  task  in- 
finitely more  important,  and  infinitely  greater 
than  that.  He  was  cleansing  soiled  hearts  and 
preparing  men  for  the  most  glorious  mission  that 
was  ever  entrusted  to  the  hands  of  men.  It  is  in 
the  light,  the  transfiguring  light,  that  shines  forth 
from  and  through  these  wonderful  truths  in  the 
background  of  our  picture,  that  we  must  inter- 
pret the  meaning-of  the  words  and  acts  that  pass 
upon  the  real  stage.  This — all  of  this — which  I 
have  been  striving  to  make  clear,  must  be  clearly 
in  our  thought,  if  we  would  understand  what  the 
Master  meant,  when  He  said,  "I  have  given  you 
an  example,  that  ye  should  do  as  I  have  done  to 
you. " 

Christlikeness:  this  is  the  last  word  in  the  defini- 
tion of  Christianity.  I  commend  to  you,  there- 
fore, reader  mine,  Jesus  Christ  as  the  great  example 
of  your  life,  that  you  may  learn  to  walk  in  His 
steps.  And  I  commend  Him  as  your  example  in 
the  following  particulars: 

First,  in  the  state  of  mind,  or,  if  you  please,  the 
inner  spirit,  of  your  life. 

"As  a  man  thinketh  in  his  heart,   so  is  he." 


88  THE   COMPASS 

"Out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart  the  mouth 
speaketh. "  "Let  this  mind  be  in  you  which  was 
also  in  Christ  Jesus.  Who,  being  in  the  form  of 
God,  thought  it  not  a  prize  to  be  grasped  at  and 
clung  to,  to  be  equal  with  God:  but  made  Himself 
of  no  reputation,  and  took  upon  Him  the  form  of 
a  servant,  and  was  made  in  the  likeness  of  men: 
and  being  found  in  fashion  as  a  man.  He  humbled 
Himself,  and  became  obedient  unto  death,  even 
the  death  of  the  cross."  Too  much  emphasis 
cannot  be  laid  upon  the  necessity  of  guarding  our 
minds  and  controlling  our  thoughts.  It  is  by  this 
means  of  entrance  that  impurity  and  sin  find  their 
way  into  our  lives.  Every  act  and  purpose  of 
life  is  present  first  in  the  thought  and  the  con- 
ceptions of  the  mind.  To  keep  these  pure  is  to 
purify  the  life  at  its  source,  and  that  means  that 
all  will  be  pure  and  right.  "Keep  thy  heart  with 
all  diligence,  for  out  of  it  are  the  issues  of  life. " 

Second,  in  those  activities  which  are  the  natural 
expression  of  the  inner  life. 

This  means  the  words  and  the  deeds,  of  our  lives. 

With  regard  to  the  words,  there  is  no  point  at 
which  we  need  to  guard  ourselves  more  carefully 
than  just  here.  How  truly  and  wisely  said  the 
Apostle  James :  "  If  any  man  offend  not  in  word,  the 
same  is  a  perfect  man,  and  able  also  to  bridle  the 
whole  body."  "The  tongue  is  a  fire,  a  world  of 
iniquity  in  the  midst  of  our  members:  so  is  the 
tongue  that  it  defileth  the  whole  body,  and  setteth 


CHRIST  OUR  EXAMPLE  89 

on  fire  the  course  of  nature;  and  it  is  set  on  fire  of 
hell.  .  .  .  Out  of  the  same  mouth  proceedeth 
blessing  and  cursing.  Therewith  bless  we  God, 
even  the  Father;  and  therewith  curse  we  men, 
which  are  made  after  the  similitude  of  God." 
How  true  this  all  is!  Words  of  thoughtless  pro- 
fanity; words  of  deliberate  blasphemy,  against 
God !  Words  of  cruel  criticism ;  words  of  malicious 
gossip;  words  of  deliberate  reputation  and  charac- 
ter assassination,  against  our  brother  men !  Words 
that  belittle  religion;  words  that  sow  thoughts  of 
impurity  in  the  minds  of  those  who  hear;  words 
that  stir  emotion  and  passion  until  they  burn  as  a 
consuming  flame  in  the  body  and  the  mind  of 
those  who  are  lacking  in  self-control.  Words  of 
unmeasured  condemnation  and  denunciation, 
rightly  directed  and  richly  deserved,  maybe,  but 
spoken  in  a  spirit  of  bitterness  and  a  lack  of  love, 
which  can  make  them  only  evil  in  their  fruit!  Ah, 
words,  words!  How  easy  to  speak;  but  how  im- 
possible to  recall!  How  simple  in  appearance  and 
sound;  but  how  deadly  in  reality!  How  they 
prick,  and  rankle,  and  burn,  and  curse!  If  we 
would  be  Christlike  we  must  set  a  guard  at  the 
door  of  our  lips. 

With  regard  to  the  deeds,  the  biography  of  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  briefest  and  the  most  eloquent  ever 
written.  It  is  contained  in  five  words:  '*He  went 
about  doing  good. "  The  biography  of  every  true 
follower  of  Jesus  Christ,  if  it  is  written  properly, 


90  THE  COMPASS 

must  be  written  in  seven  words:  **Like  Christ,  he 
went  about  doing  good. "  The  relief  of  suffering, 
the  assuaging  of  sorrow,  the  strengthening  of  the 
weak,  the  feeding  of  the  hungry,  the  pointing  of 
men  to  the  Saviour  who  alone  can  save  them  from 
their  sins,  these  are  the  good  works  that  lie  ready- 
to  the  hand  of  any  who  will  walk  in  the  footsteps 
of  the  Master  and  invest  their  lives  in  the  ways 
that  will  mean  the  utmost  of  good  to  the  world 
therefrom. 

"O  Master,  let  me  walk  with  thee 
In  lowly  paths  of  service  free; 
Tell  me  thy  secret;  help  me  bear 
The  strain  of  toil,  the  fret  of  care. 

"Help  me  the  slow  of  heart  to  move 
By  some  clear  winning  word  of  love; 
Teach  me  the  wayward  feet  to  stay, 
And  guide  them  in  the  homeward  way. " 

Third,  in  his  intimate  and  unbroken  fellowship 
with  his  Father.  This,  after  all,  was  the  secret 
of  all  of  his  wonderful  life.  You  will  recall  his 
habit!  At  every  time  of  stress,  and  of  burdens 
pressing  extra  heavily,  he  would  retire  into  the 
uninhabited  place,  or  the  mountain  height,  in  order 
that  he  might  be  alone  for  a  time  with  his  God. 
And  he  always  came  away  from  such  seasons  of 
fellowship  with  his  strength  renewed,  ready  again 


CHRIST  OUR  EXAMPLE  91 

to  take  up  the  burden  of  his  work  and  to  bear  it 
strongly  and  triumphantly  for  the  Father's  sake 
and  glory.  But  you  will  get  the  clearest  possible 
setting  forth  of  my  thought  just  here,  in  the  words 
of  the  Master  Himself.  He  was  standing  at  the 
tomb  of  Lazarus,  Mary  and  Martha  were  weeping 
at  His  side,  and  the  sorrowing  friends  were  uttering 
their  lamentations  all  around.  He  himself  wept 
in  sympathy  for  their  sorrow.  And  then  He  lifted 
His  eyes  to  heaven,  and  He  said,  ''I  thank  Thee, 
Father,  that  Thou  hast  heard  Me.  And  I  know 
that  Thou  hearest  Me  always;  but  for  the  people 
that  stand  by  I  said  it,  that  they  may  believe  that 
Thou  hast  sent  Me. "  And  yet  He  had  said  never 
a  word !  In  the  silence,  no  audible  word  of  prayer 
being  uttered.  His  heart  had  gone  out  to  the 
Father,  and  the  Father  had  heard  and  answered, 
and  He  had  the  assurance  of  the  answer  in  His  own 
soul.  What  a  wonderful  picture  of  the  inter- 
communion of  spirit  between  Him  and  His  God! 
But  this,  and  nothing  less,  is  possible  for  you  and 
me,  and  God  wants  us  to  possess  it  for  ourselves. 
That  at  any  time,  in  the  presence  of  any  need,  we 
may  just  lift  our  hearts  to  God,  whether  we  be 
in  the  closet  or  in  the  crowded  mart,  and  in  the 
silence  of  our  spiritual  communion,  receive  His 
answer  and  His  blessing.  If  this  becomes  the 
habit  of  our  lives,  as  it  was  the  habit  of  Jesus  the 
Christ,  there  is  no  measure  of  His  image  or  His 
perfection  that  is  beyond  our  reach,  even  here  in 
the  life  of  the  world. 


92  THE  COMPASS  J 

*'Sow  a  thought  and  you  reap  an  act.  ]. 

Sow  an  act  and  you  reap  a  habit.  ! 

Sow  a  habit  and  you  reap  a  character. 
Sow  a  character  and  you  reap  a  destiny. '' 

This  chain  of  causation  is  true  for  the  Hfe  that  is 
evil.  Thank  God,  it  is  also  true  for  the  life  that  i 
is  pure  and  good.  To  the  life  that  wills  to  have 
it  so,  the  highest  reaches  of  heaven  are  easily 
within  reach.  He  has  only  to  do  the  right,  and 
trust  in  God,  and  follow  Christ. 


VII 

Mountain  Heights  and  Visions 

'^ And  zvhen  they  had  lifted  up  their  eyes^  they  sazv  no 
man  save  Jesus  only. " 

(saint    MATTHEW    17:8) 

T^HESE  words  introduce  us  to  one  of  the 
mountain  scenes  and  one  of  the  mountain 
experiences  of  the  Bible.  I  know  of  no  exercise 
that  could  be  of  greater  value  for  a  leisure  hour 
than  just  to  sit  down  in  the  companionship  of  the 
Book,  and,  leafing  it  over  from  the  earliest  pages 
of  Genesis  to  the  last  of  Revelation,  find  out  for 
yourself  the  part  that  has  been  played  by  these 
mountain  scenes  and  mountain  experiences  in  the 
history  and  development  of  God's  chosen  people. 
Upon  Moriah,  one  of  the  mountains  of  Palestine, 
Abraham,  the  Father  of  the  Faithful,  met  the 
supreme  test  of  his  life,  and  proved  his  worthiness 
for  the  great  task  and  honor  which  God  had  in 
reserve  for  him.  It  was  here  that  his  faith  stood 
the  test  of  offering  upon  the  altar  of  sacrifice  to 
God  the  life  of  his  only  son,  the  son  of  the  promise, 
believing  that  God  was  even  able  and  ready  to 
raise   him   from    the   dead    rather   than    that   the 

93 


94  THE   COMPASS 

promise  should  be  allowed  to  fail.  There  is  a 
majestic  justice  contained  in  the  tradition  that 
this  very  spot  was  afterward  the  one  chosen  for 
the  site  of  the  great  temple  of  Solomon,  and  those 
which  in  their  turn  succeeded  it,  the  visible  sym- 
bol of  the  presence  and  glory  of  the  great  God 
among  men.  It  ought  to  be  true,  and  it  will  do 
us  no  harm  to  believe  that  it  is  so. 

At  a  later  day,  when  the  single  household  of  the 
old  patriarch  had  grown  into  a  multitude,  and  God 
would  lead  his  people  forth  from  slavery  and 
mould  them  into  a  mighty  nation  for  his  service, 
and  the  service  of  the  world  of  men,  it  was  to 
Sinai  that  he  led  them.  And  there,  before  the 
mountain  that  smoked,  they  waited  for  the  Lord 
until  He  should  reveal  Himself  to  them.  Then, 
from  the  glory  of  that  mountain  height,  and  of 
his  days  and  nights  of  communion  with  Jehovah, 
there  came  Moses  the  servant  of  God,  with  his 
face  shining  as  the  face  of  an  angel,  and  bearing 
in  his  hands  the  tables  of  stone  upon  which  were 
written  those  laws  that  have  been  the  foundation 
of  all  righteous  laws  enacted  from  that  day  to  this. 
And  Israel  was  ready  for  her  mighty  destiny. 

Time  rolls  on  and  the  nation  has  conquered, 
and  entered  into  peaceful  possession  of  its  land  of 
promise.  Prosperity  has  come,  and  Jeshurun  has 
waxed  fat  and  kicked.  Israel  forgets  her  ancestral 
God  and  turns  aside  to  the  worship  of  the  idols 
of  the  nations.  Then  it  is  that  she  is  summoned 
up   into   the  heights  of  Carmel,   another  of  the 


MOUNTAIN  HEIGHTS  AND  VISIONS    95 

mountains  of  Palestine,  and  the  test  by  fire  was 
had.  From  morning  until  noon  the  helpless 
prophets  of  Baal  cry,  and  leap  upon  the  altar, 
and  cut  themselves  with  lancets  so  that  the  blood 
gushed  out  upon  them;  but  there  was  none  that 
heard,  neither  voice  that  made  reply.  But  when 
the  hour  of  evening  sacrifice  is  come,  Elijah,  the 
lone  prophet  of  Jehovah,  calls  upon  his  God,  and 
the  holy  fire  falls  from  heaven  and  eats  up  the 
sacrifice  upon  the  altar,  the  stones  of  the  altar 
itself,  and  the  water  in  the  trench  that  surrounded 
the  altar.  Amazed  at  this  manifestation  of  power, 
and  pricked  in  conscience  because  of  their  unfaith- 
fulness, the  people  went  down  from  that  mountain 
height  crying  out  with  glad  hearts,  "The  Lord,  He 
is  God!  The  Lord,  He  is  God!"  and  the  work 
of  stamping  out  idolatry  from  the  life  of  the  king- 
dom of  Israel  was  well  on  its  way. 

And  when,  on  the  morrow,  the  man  of  God 
learned  that  the  effect  of  it  all  had  not  been  what 
he  had  fondly  hoped  for  upon  one  sinful  and  stub- 
born woman,  the  queen,  Jezebel,  he  fled  away  a 
day's  journey  into  the  wilderness  and  laid  him 
down  under  his  juniper  tree  and  prayed  that  he 
might  die.  Then  it  was  that  God,  by  His  angel 
minister,  fed  him  and  quenched  his  thirst,  and 
then  sent  him,  upheld  by  that  God-given  strength, 
to  Horeb  the  mount  of  God.  And  there,  in  the 
mouth  of  the  cave.  He  gave  a  marvelous  revelation 
of  Himself  and  His  ways.  "A  great  and  strong 
wind  rent  the  mountains,  and  brake  in  pieces  the 


96  THE   COMPASS 

rocks  before  the  Lord;  but  the  Lord  was  not  in  the 
wind:  and  after  the  wind  an  earthquake;  but  the 
Lord  was  not  in  the  earthquake:  and  after  the 
earthquake  a  fire;  but  the  Lord  was  not  in  the 
fire:  and  after  the  fire  a  still  small  voice."  And 
Elijah  wrapped  his  face  in  his  mantle,  for  he  knew 
that  he  was  in  the  presence  of  God.  And  armed 
with  the  strength  that  was  given  him  in  that 
vision  he  went  down  from  the  mountain  height  to 
take  up  again  the  burden  of  his  life's  work,  and  to 
carry  it  manfully  and  triumphantly  until  the  day 
that,  in  the  fiery  chariot  of  Israel,  and  drawn  by 
the  fiery  horses  thereof,  he  was  taken  up  into  the 
glory  of  the  God  whom  he  had  served  so  well  in 
his  life  in  the  world. 

And  when,  at  a  later  date,  Jesus  the  Messiah 
came,  what  man  of  the  mountain  heights  and  the 
mountain  experience  was  He!  The  initial  sermon 
of  His  ministry  was  preached  upon  the  Horns  of 
Hattin,  one  of  the  mountains  of  Palestine.  It 
was  a  habit  of  His  throughout  His  ministry,  when 
times  of  peculiar  stress  came  upon  Him,  to  retire 
into  a  desert  place  or  a  mountain  height  alone,  and 
to  spend  a  whole  day  or  a  whole  night  in  com- 
munion with  His  Father.  And  we  well  know  that 
He  always  returned  from  that  time  of  fellowship 
with  His  Father  renewed  in  strength  and  courage 
for  the  mighty  tasks  which  were  His  to  perform. 
The  transfiguration  scene,  from  which  the  words 
of  our  study  are  taken,  is  but  one  of  the  mountain 
experiences  of  the  life  of  the  Master,  and  in  its 


MOUNTAIN  HEIGHTS  AND  VISIONS    97 

course  He  was  transfigured  with  a  divine  glory 
before  the  eyes  of  His  wondering  disciples.  When, 
at  the  end  of  that  wonderful  life,  He  was  to  be 
oflfered  up  upon  the  cross  as  a  sacrifice  for  the 
world's  sin,  it  was  upon  Calvary,  another  of  the 
mountains  of  Palestine,  that  He  was  lifted  up 
between  earth  and  heaven  in  order  that  He  might 
draw  all  men  to  Himself.  When  His  work  on 
earth  is  fully  done,  and  He  is  to  return  to  the  right 
hand  of  His  Father  and  our  Father,  of  His  God 
and  our  God,  it  is  from  the  slopes  of  Olivet,  another 
of  the  mountains  of  Palestine,  that,  with  hands 
extended  in  blessing.  He  is  caught  up  out  of  the 
sight  of  His  wondering  disciples.  And  there  also 
they  received  His  gracious  promise  that  He  should 
in  like  manner  come  again  to  receive  His  own  to 
Himself:  the  bulwark  of  men's  faith  to  the  end  of 
time! 

And  now,  why  has  all  this  been  said.^  For  a 
very  good  and  practical  reason  and  purpose.  Life, 
it  seems  to  me,  is  just  like  a  great  panorama  from 
nature.  It  has  its  low  level  of  the  plain,  with  its 
heavy  and  miasmatic  atmosphere,  its  tiresome  and 
deadly  routine,  its  disappointments  and  its  des- 
pair: the  low  level  of  the  work-a-day  life  of  the 
world,  where  men  live  and  labor,  and  sorrow  and 
suffer,  and  die.  And  then  it  has  those  experiences 
which  are  like  to  the  little  hills,  up  into  which  we 
come,  and  we  get  a  farther  and  clearer  vision,  and 
we  breathe  a  purer  and  more  life-giving  atmos- 
phere,  and  we  understand  more  fully  and  help- 


98  THE   COMPASS 

fully  the  plans  and  purposes  and  love  of  God. 
These  are  the  unusual  experiences  of  life  that  come 
to  us  from  the  hand  of  a  good  and  loving  Father 
to  relieve  its  awful  tedium  and  to  make  its  sun 
shine  the  brighter  and  warmer.  Then  there  are 
those  supreme  experiences  of  life  when,  like  Paul, 
we  are,  as  it  were,  caught  up  into  the  very  third 
heaven  of  blessedness,  and  we  see  things  which 
apparently  it  never  was  intended  that  the  eye  of 
man  should  see,  and  we  hear  things  which  ap- 
parently it  never  was  intended  that  the  ear  of  man 
should  hear.  We  get  the  clearest  and  farthest 
possible  vision,  and  we  breathe  the  purest  and 
most  life-giving  atmosphere,  and  we  come  to  under- 
stand in  the  fullest  measure,  in  which  the  mind  of 
man  can  understand,  the  plans  and  purposes  and 
love  of  God.  We  have  been  alone  in  the  mountain 
height  with  God.  These  are  the  supreme  ex- 
periences of  life,  infinitely  rich  and  blessed. 

Has  it  ever  occurred  to  you  that  it  was  with 
definite  purpose  that  God  caused  His  church  to 
be  called  Mount  Zion  in  the  midst  of  the  earth  .^^ 
Here  is  the  mount  of  vision  up  into  which  we  come 
in  order  that  we  may  be  fitted  to  see  eye  to  eye 
with  God,  to  think  His  thoughts,  to  speak  His 
words,  to  live  His  life  in  the  world.  Here  is  the 
mount  of  encouragement  upon  whose  heights  we 
get  the  new  strength  that  will  enable  us  to  take 
up  anew  the  crushing  burdens  of  life  and  carry 
them  to  the  glory  of  God  and  the  blessing  of  the 
world  of  men.     Here  is  the  mount  of  transfigura- 


MOUNTAIN  HEIGHTS  AND  VISIONS    99 

tion  where  our  lives  are  changed  into  His  very 
likeness,  from  glory  to  glory.  This,  and  none 
other,  is  the  purpose  of  her  morning  and  evening 
services  on  the  Sabbath  day,  of  her  services  in  the 
midst  of  the  week,  of  all  her  appointments  for 
worship  and  fellowship  with  God.  Oh,  let  us 
come  to  prize  her  at  her  real  worth,  and  let  us  give 
to  her  our  love  and  loyalty  and  unstinted,  devoted 
service.     She  is  the  Church  of  God! 

But  the  words  of  our  study  suggest  much  more 
than  this.  They  suggest  very  clearly  the  ideal  of 
Christian  character  and  attainment;  and  that 
suggestion  is  contained  in  the  words,  "saw  no 
man  save  Jesus  only."  What  do  I  mean.?  This: 
if  you  will  hold  a  copper  penny  close  enough  to 
your  eye  you  can  shut  out  the  vision  of  the  sun 
and  the  glorious  heaven  in  which  it  shines.  I 
would  that  we  might  so  keep  the  loved  form  of  the 
Master  close  before  our  eyes  that  we  would  see 
only  Him,  or  rather,  speaking  more  correctly, 
that  we  should  see  all  other  things  through  Him. 
The  result.?  Why  this:  we  grow  to  be  like  those 
with  whom  we  much  associate,  those  whom  we 
fondly  love.  As  we,  therefore,  keep  the  Master 
constantly  before  us  we  shall  grow  to  be  like  Him; 
we  shall  come  to  think  His  thoughts,  to  speak  His 
words,  to  do  His  deeds,  to  live  His  life,  to  bear 
His  likeness  in  our  very  faces,  but  most  of  all  in 
the  spirit  that  abides  within.  There  can  be  no 
other  result.     This  is  the  law  of  life. 


100  THE   COMPASS 

*'ril  gaze  forever  on  thy  godlike  father, 
Transplanting  one  by  one  into  my  life 
His  bright  perfections,  till  I  shine  like  him. " 

And  this  further  thought  appears:  it  was  only 
after  they  had  lifted  up  their  eyes  that  they  could 
behold  this  ideal  of  Jesus  only,  and  so  grow  into 
His  likeness.  Ah,  beloved,  there  can  be  no  uplift 
without  the  upward  look!  '*If  ye  then  be  risen 
with  Christ,  seek  those  things  that  are  above 
where  Christ  sitteth  at  the  right  hand  of  God." 
The  Apostle  would  not  throw  doubt  upon  the 
fact  of  their  having  risen  with  Christ;  but  he  would 
make  clear  to  them  a  vital  law  of  the  Christian 
life  and  growth.  The  life  that  would  rise  high 
must  look  to  the  things  that  are  high  and  seek  to 
attain  to  them.  You  are  all  familiar,  I  am  sure, 
with  the  illustration  of  this  great  truth  which  is 
given  to  us  by  the  Bedford  Tinker.^  It  is  the 
story  of  the  man  with  the  muckrake  going  about 
and  raking  amid  the  filth  and  the  offal  of  the  earth 
in  order  that  he  may  secure  for  himself  the  few 
and  scanty  nuggets  of  gold  that  are  contained 
therein.  And  there  are  some  contained  therein, 
for  no  one  would  be  contented  to  give  his  life  to 
these  things  if  there  were  no  return.  So,  there  he 
is,  raking,  raking.  And  all  the  time,  just  above 
his  head  there  is  a  hand  holding  a  golden  crown. 
His  crown!  But  he  sees  it  not,  nor  knows  of  its 
presence,  because  with  his  eyes  fixed  upon  the 
ground,  and  his  mind  engrossed  with  the  things  to 


MOUNTAIN  HEIGHTS  AND  VISIONS  loi 

be  found  there,  and  his  mind  and  heart  satisfied 
with  the  returns  of  his  earth-directed  labors,  he 
is  totally  unconscious  that  there  is  anything  else 
or  anything  better  for  him.  And  what  a  picture 
it  is  of  the  lives  of  the  people  of  our  day!  With 
our  eyes  turned  downward  toward  the  life  of  the 
world  and  the  rewards  which  it  has  to  give;  with 
our  minds  and  all  our  powers  engrossed  in  the 
performance  of  the  given  daily  task,  which  brings 
its  real,  though  largely  material,  reward;  with  our 
hearts  satisfied  with  the  meager  returns  that  these 
things  can  give,  we  are  losing  the  crown  of  our 
lives.  Ah,  friend  of  mine,  the  true  life  of  man 
is  from  above,  and  is  found  above,  in  Christ  and 
in  God.  I  pray  you,  let  no  man,  or  influence,  or 
circumstance,  rob  you  of  your  crown! 

There  is  a  last  thought  suggested  in  connection 
with  the  words  of  our  study.  We  cannot  remain 
upon  the  mountain  top  always.  The  air  is  too 
rare,  the  altitude  too  high,  the  experience  too  far 
removed  from  the  real  life  of  men.  That  was  the 
mistake  which  Peter  made  on  the  mount  of  trans- 
figuration. He  said,  "Let  us  build  here  three 
tabernacles,  one  for  thee,  one  for  Moses,  and  one 
for  Elias.  "  He  would  just  remain  there  enjoying, 
selfishly,  that  wonderful,  that  glorious  experience. 
How  did  Christ  answer  the  suggestion.^  By  not 
so  much  as  a  word.  He  ignored  it.  And  He 
ignored  it  because  it  was  so  puerile,  so  utterly 
lacking  in  understanding  of  the  Christ  mind  and 
spirit,  that  it  was  not  worthy  of  any  attention  or 


I02  THE  COMPASS 

answer.  But  when  the  time  came  for  Him  to 
teach  the  lesson  which  He  wanted  the  disciples 
to  learn  from  their  experience  on  the  mount  of 
transfiguration,  He  led  them  down  the  mountain 
slopes  to  the  plain  at  the  mountain's  base,  to  find 
there  a  father  whose  heart  was  sore  because  a  son 
whom  he  loved  better  than  his  own  life  had  fallen 
into  the  power  of  a  spirit  of  evil,  and  a  son  whose 
life  was  a  living  curse  because  of  a  terrible  malady 
from  which  he  constantly  suflFered.  And  the 
father  had  brought  his  afflicted  son  to  the  very 
persons  from  whom  he  had  every  right  to  expect 
help,  and  he  had  received  none.  He  had  brought 
him  to  the  disciples  of  Christ,  and  they  had  proven 
powerless.  But  when  the  Master  comes,  and 
they  tell  Him  of  it,  He  speaks  those  quiet,  majestic 
words,  ^' bring  him  hither  to  Me,"  and  the  word 
of  power  and  loving  sympathy  is  spoken  that 
restored  a  young  man  to  his  full  enjoyment  of 
manhood,  and  made  a  father's  heart  rejoice  in 
seeing  his  son  made  whole  again,  with  the  rich 
opportunities  of  a  man's  full  life  before  him  once 
more. 

And  so  it  is  that  we  learn  the  lesson  of  the  hour 
and  of  our  lives.  The  mountain  height  is  for 
vision,  for  seeing  eye  to  eye  with  God;  the  moun- 
tain is  for  fellowship  that  we  may  learn  to  think 
the  thoughts  of  God;  the  mountain  is  for  encour- 
agement that  we  constantly  may  be  renewed  in 
strength  to  do  the  work  of  God;  the  mountain  is 
for  the  revelation  of  his  glory  that  we   may  be 


MOUNTAIN  HEIGHTS  AND  VISIONS  103 

changed  into  the  glory  of  his  likeness.  But  down 
in  the  valley  at  the  mountain's  base,  where  men 
live  and  labor,  sorrow  and  suffer,  and  die;  where 
fathers'  souls  are  burdened  and  mothers'  hearts 
are  breaking  because  of  the  wayward  ways  in 
which  sons  and  daughters  whom  they  love  with  a 
love  that  is  stronger  than  is  death  are  walking — 
aye,  down  in  the  valley  at  the  mountain's  base  is 
the  place  where  we  must  show  the  fruits  of  the 
mountain  vision;  where  we  must  make  concrete 
the  thoughts  of  God  by  doing  godly  deeds  of 
kindness  and  helpfulness;  where  we  must  pour  out 
like  water  the  strength  which  we  keep  constantly 
renewed  through  fellowship;  where  we  must  show 
the  likeness  of  the  Master  in  the  spirit  of  Christ 
that  dwells  in  all  of  our  life,  and  in  the  following 
of  his  example  in  going  about  doing  good.  Thank 
God,  it  is  ours,  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  His  bless- 
ing, to  bind  up  the  broken  hearted,  to  pour  balm 
upon  the  spirit  that  is  bruised,  to  preach  liberty 
to  the  captive  and  the  opening  of  the  prison  house 
to  them  that  are  bound,  to  comfort  the  sorrowing, 
to  preach  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord,  the 
Gospel  of  His  saving  grace  to  all  mankind.  It  is 
ours  to  give  ourselves  and  our  all  to  the  fulfilling 
of  those  Christly  ministries  which  He  left  to  us 
when  He  went  back  to  the  glory  of  heaven  and 
left  to  His  disciples  the  heritage  of  an  incomplete 
work  and  the  honor  of  being  His  fellow  laborers 
in  the  great  work  of  the  saving  of  a  world,  a  race, 
from   sin.     We   must  go  often    to   the   mountain 


I04  THE  COMPASS 

height  if  we  would  live  the  transfigured  life  in  the 
midst  of  the  sin-darkened  and  sin-cursed  world. 
To  serve,  that  is  the  great  privilege  of  the  disciple 
of  Jesus  Christ. 

'^When  I  survey  the  wondrous  cross, 
On  which  the  Prince  of  glory  died. 
My  richest  gain  I  count  but  loss, 
And  pour  contempt  on  all  my  pride. 

'*Were  the  whole  realm  of  nature  mine, 
That  were  a  present  far  too  small; 
Love  so  amazing,  so  divine. 

Demands  my  soul,  my  life,  my  all." 


VIII 

The  Joy  of  Joys 

"Fulfill  ye  my  joy.'' 

(saint  PAUL,  Philippians  2:2) 

pOMMANDER  Booth-Tucker,  of  the  Salvation 
^  Army,  in  an  address  at  Washington,  D.  C, 
some  years  ago,  made  a  very  striking  statement. 
It  was:  "The  joy  of  joys  is  to  increase  the  joys  of 
others."  A  mine  of  truth  in  a  single  sentence! 
The  solution  of  most  of  the  unhappinesses  of  life 
in  a  formula  as  clear  as  the  sunlight.  In  the  chain 
of  Christian  graces  joy  is  the  second  link,  binding 
together  love  and  peace.  In  the  grand  chorus  of 
human  Hfe,  joy  is  the  chord  next  to  the  funda- 
ment love,  barring  it,  the  most  necessary,  the 
most  sweet.  Yet  it  is  such  an  elusive  grace.  It 
is  with  us  one  moment,  and  the  next  it  is  gone. 
Little  things  produce  it;  little  things  banish  it  from 
the  life.  It  becomes  at  once  a  matter  of  great 
importance  to  determine  how  this  grace  may  be 
produced;  and,  then,  how  it  may  be  kept. 

A  great  variety  of  experiences  are  capable  of 
producing  joy.  Galileo  was  filled  with  all  the  joy 
of    a    boy  at  play,  when,  through  the  telescope 

105 


io6  THE   COMPASS 

which  he  had  invented,  the  beauties  of  the  starry 
firmament  burst  upon  his  wondering  gaze.  With 
a  feeHng  well  nigh  amounting  to  rapture  he  looked 
upon  the  mountains  and  the  valleys  of  the  moon; 
Jupiter  swinging  round  in  his  circuit  with  the 
accompaniment  of  his  four  satellites;  the  Milky 
Way  resolved  into  innumerable  stars,  so  distant 
and  so  closely  joined,  that  they  cannot  be  separated 
by  the  unaided  eye.  His  joy  was  that  which  will 
always  be  the  fruit  of  a  new  vision  of  truth,  what- 
ever may  be  its  source  or  its  application;  for  truth 
is  eternal,  and  truth  is  God. 

After  the  battle  of  Waterloo,  the  Duke  of 
Wellington,  riding  with  the  foremost  of  his  advance 
guard,  was  pressing  forward  in  pursuit  of  the 
flying  French.  Little  by  little  the  country  became 
less  open,  and  the  position  of  the  general  more 
dangerous,  on  account  of  stragglers.  At  last,  one 
of  his  officers  advised  him  to  retire  from  the  pur- 
suit on  account  of  the  peril  in  which  he  was  placing 
his  life.  He  only  met  with  the  answer:  "Let 
them  fire  away;  the  battle  is  won,  and  my  life  is 
of  no  value  now."  Intoxicated  with  the  joy  of 
victory,  the  great  general,  the  L'on  Duke,  counted 
his  life  as  nothing  in  comparison  with  the  joy  in 
his  soul. 

When  James  H  ascended  the  throne  of  England, 
one  of  his  first  official  acts  was  to  attempt  the  over- 
throw of  the  Episcopal  Church,  and  the  establish- 
ing in  its  place  of  the  Roman  Catholic.  He  de- 
manded the  assistance  of  the  reigning  bishops  in 


THE  JOY  OF  JOYS  107 

his  enterprise.  Seven  of  them  refused.  They  were 
seized  and  tried  as  traitors.  The  time  came  for  the 
verdict,  and  the  populace  was  waiting  anxiously 
for  the  jury  to  appear.  Finally  the  jury  filed  into 
its  box,  and  there  followed  a  breathless  stillness. 
The  clerk  spoke:  "Do  you  find  the  defendants 
or  any  of  them,  guilty  of  the  misdemeanor  of  which 
they  are  impeached,  or  not  guilty.^"  Clear  and 
calm  came  the  answer  of  the  foreman:  "Not 
guilty!"  One  man  sprang  up  and  waved  his  hat. 
Bench  and  gallery  responded  with  a  shout  until 
ten  thousand  voices  rang  as  one.  The  throng 
without,  for  the  fate  of  a  nation's  liberties  was 
hanging  upon  this  verdict,  took  up  the  glad  ac- 
claim, and  from  the  street  and  river,  craft-be- 
decked, there  went  up  one  mighty  shout  of  joy. 
For  some  time  the  wild  enthusiasm  swayed  the 
multitudes,  at  last  to  give  way  to  a  more  subdued 
but  not  less  expressive  sign  of  their  emotions,  and 
thousands  wept  aloud  for  very  joy.  It  was  the 
declaration  of  England's  freedom:  a  freedom  not 
of  the  body,  but  of  the  soul. 

Such  are  some  of  the  causes  which  produce  joy 
in  the  lives  of  individuals  or  of  multitudes.  They 
are  only  a  few  of  very  many.  There  is  no  inten- 
tion of  being  exhaustive;  only  of  arousing  thought 
and  arresting  attention.  But  these  examples 
teach  yet  other  things.  They  teach  the  strength, 
the  wonderful  power  of  this  emotion.  It  trans- 
forms the  retiring  student  into  the  happy  man  of 
society.     It  makes  the  great  general,  upon  whose 


io8  THE   COMPASS 

life  depended  the  success  of  an  army  and  the 
destiny  of  a  continent — nay  a  world — consider 
that  life  as  nothing.  It  lifts  a  nation  from  the 
depths  of  despair  and  the  darkness  of  hopelessness, 
and  fires  it  with  new  life  of  courage  and  hope 
restored.  It  even  has  been  known,  where  it  was 
present  to  excess,  to  sever  the  life  cord  and  usher 
the  soul  into  the  presence  of  its  maker,  where 
alone  is  joy  in  its  fulness  found.  Nor  does  the 
teaching  of  these  incidents  stop  here.  They  tell 
us  of  the  transient  nature  of  the  joy  which  they 
produced.  It  ceased  almost  with  the  vanishing 
of  that  which  gave  It  birth.  They  who  at  one 
moment  were  joyous  on  account  of  that  which  had 
befallen,  the  next  were  crying  out  for  some  new 
joy,  and  seeking  the  means  to  secure  it.  This  is 
joy;  but  it  is  not  the  true  joy.  It  is  joy  beginning 
without  and  proceeding  inward.  The  true  joy 
begins  within  and  proceeds  outward.  And  yet, 
in  a  very  vital  sense,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind 
that  every  joy  is  a  dependent  joy,  just  as  every 
life  is  a  dependent  life.  There  is  no  such  thing  in 
the  world  as  an  independent  life.  Just  so  there 
is  no  such  thing  in  the  world  as  an  independent 
joy.  But  there  is  this  difference:  the  life  cannot 
be  independent,  because  it  cannot  help  receiving 
from  others;  but  the  joy  cannot  be  independent 
because  it  cannot  help  giving  to  others.  Note 
how  beautifully  this  idea  is  enforced  in  the  words 
of  our  text:  ^'Fulfill  ye  my  joy."  Then  follows 
the  Greek  hina,  in  order  that,  or  to  the  end  that, 


THE  JOY  OF  JOYS  109 

''ye  may  be  like  minded,  having  the  same  love, 
being  of  one  accord,  of  one  mind. "  Fulfill  ye  my 
joy — not  in  my  life,  but  in  your  lives;  not  in  order 
that  my  joy  may  be  increased,  but  in  order  that 
your  joy  may  be  increased  by  being  like  minded, 
by  possessing  a  common  love,  by  working  unitedly 
for  one  common  end.  Do  we  need  more  of  the 
divine  teaching  to  impress  this  great  truth  ?  Well, 
it  stands  ready  to  our  hand.  You  will  find  it  in  the 
third  chapter  of  John's  gospel.  Jesus,  baptized  of 
John,  aud  having  undergone  the  forty  days  of 
fasting  in  the  wilderness,  had  entered  upon  his 
full  work  of  ministry.  The  Jews  saw  it,  and, 
probably,  already  moved  by  envy  of  him,  came 
to  John  and  said:  "Behold  he  that  was  with  thee 
beyond  Jordan,  to  whom  thou  bearest  witness, 
the  same  baptizeth,  and  all  men  come  to  him. " 
If  envy  was  their  ruling  motive  and  enmity  their 
state  of  mind,  how  they  must  have  been  disap- 
pointed at  what  they  heard;  for  from  the  lips  of 
John  came  the  noble  answer:  "He  that  hath  the 
bride  is  the  bridegroom:  but  the  friend  of  the 
bridegroom,  who  standeth  and  heareth  him,  re- 
joiceth  greatly  because  of  the  bridegroom's  voice: 
This  my  joy,  therefore,  is  fulfilled.  He  must 
increase,  but  I  must  decrease."  "The  joy  of 
joys  is  to  increase  the  joys  of  others. " 

The  Master,  Christ,  enforces  the  same  beautiful 
teaching.  In  His  touching  and  tender  farewell 
discourse.  He  plainly  avows  His  purpose  in  speak- 
ing so   to  His   disciples.     "These  things   have   I 


no  THE   COMPASS 

spoken  unto  you  that  my  joy  might  remain  in  you, 
and  that  your  joy  might  be  full."  Think  of  itl 
Christ,  His  joy  already  full,  because  He  was  soon 
to  complete  His  divine  work  in  giving  Himself 
once  and  for  all  for  His  loved  ones,  speaks  to  them 
His  parting  words  of  cheer,  that  a  joy  like  that 
which  He  Himself  feels  may  dwell  in  their  hearts 
and  may  find  its  fulness  in  a  like  unselfish  service 
for  the  world  of  men.  As  He  came  into  the  world 
to  give  His  life  for  the  world,  so  He  sent  them  out 
to  give  their  lives  to  the  world.  As  He  found  His 
highest  duty.  His  supremest  joy,  in  the  fulfilling 
of  this  service,  so  would  their  joy  be  full  when,  in 
God's  own  time,  they  should  be  privileged  to  work 
and  to  suffer.  John  found  his  cup  of  joy  running 
over  when  he  beheld  the  Christ  entered  fully  upon 
His  work  as  the  result  of  his  witness  bearing. 
Jesus  had  fulness  of  joy  when  He  had  completed 
His  work  for  lost  men,  and,  before  His  mind's  eye, 
already  saw  them  enjoying  the  fruits  of  the  salva- 
tion which  He  was  about  to  purchase.  The  fol- 
lower of  the  Nazarene  shall  have  like  joy — yea, 
the  very  joy  of  the  Christ  filling  his  soul — when 
he  gives  his  life,  his  all,  to  bless  the  world  and  to 
lift  men  up  toward  God.  "The  joy  of  joys  is  to 
increase  the  joys  of  others. " 

What,  then,  is  this  joy?  This  question  we  are 
hardly  yet  ready  to  answer.  As  in  many  other 
cases,  it  is  much  easier,  and  just  as  instructive,  to 
tell  what  it  is  not.  So,  let  us  note  first  of  all  that 
it  is  not  the  joy  of  receiving.     Mark  that!     Mark 


THE  JOY  OF  JOYS  in 

it  so  that  it  cannot  be  forgotten!  There  is  a  joy 
in  receiving.  It  fills  our  hearts  with  a  great  happi- 
ness to  receive  tokens  of  esteem  and  affection  from 
friends  and  loved  ones.  We  rejoice  in  the  count- 
less blessings  which  the  beneficent  Father  showers 
into  our  lives,  and  we  feel  a  great  gratitude  to  Him 
for  His  goodness.  And,  yet,  have  you  never 
noticed  how  easy  it  becomes  to  take  gifts  as  a 
matter  of  course,  and  to  lose  the  sense  of  gratitude 
to  God  the  giver  of  every  good  and  perfect  gift.'* 
Have  you  never  remarked  how  one  must  fight  ever 
to  keep  before  his  mind  the  fact,  even,  that  all  of 
our  good  things  are  the  expression  of  God's  love 
and  not  the  reward  of  our  own  merit  .^  Yes,  there 
is  a  joy  in  receiving.  But  it  is  not  the  true  joy; 
for  the  spirit  can  become  dead  to  its  influence. 
Of  the  joy  of  joys  it  cannot  be  true  that  it  shall 
ever  fail  to  quicken  and  to  cheer.  It  is  a  perennial 
spring:  a  well  of  water,  living  water,  within  the 
soul  springing  up  into  everlasting  life.  Life  is 
not  an  inland  lake  into  which  the  waters  pour, 
there  to  remain  until  evaporated  by  the  sun, 
because  the  lake  has  no  outlet,  growing  daily  more 
impure  and  more  loathsome.  But  life  is  a  great 
open  sea  into  which  the  waters  pour  from  rivers 
and  innumerable  lesser  streams;  whose  waters  are 
wholesome  and  the  home  of  countless  multitudes 
which  sport  and  live  therein.  To  receive  is  blessed. 
There  is  something  more  blessed  still. 

We  must  note,  in  the  second  place,  that  it  is 
not  the  joy  of  possession:  of  possession   merely. 


112  THE  COMPASS 

There  is  also  a  joy  in  mere  possession.  It  is  a 
pleasure  to  have  the  good  things  of  life.  They 
themselves,  of  themselves,  give  to  one  a  feeling  of 
comfort,  of  security,  of  superiority  over  circum- 
stances, that  is  very  akin  to  joy.  It  is  a  pleasure 
to  wear  the  finest  clothes,  to  live  in  the  best  house, 
to  own  the  biggest  farm,  to  ride  behind  the  swiftest 
horses  or  in  the  most  expensive  and  comfortable 
automobile  owned  by  any  one  in  the  whole  country 
side.  It  is  an  undoubted  joy  to  be  able  to  give  to 
your  children  better  advantages  of  education  and 
culture,  better  outlooks  in  the  direction  of  business 
or  profession,  than  is  possible  in  the  case  of  many 
of  your  neighbors  and  friends.  Yes,  these  things 
give  us  a  form  of  joy.  But,  oh,  how  narrow  it  is; 
how  unsatisfying  it  is!  How,  deep  down  in  our 
hearts,  it  fails  to  meet  our  true  desires.  How, 
even  to  ourselves,  we  are  ashamed  to  cherish  it, 
because  we  know  that  it  is  mean  and  small — in- 
describably mean  and  small.  How,  if  we  have 
any  delicacy  of  feeling,  we  shrink  from  showing 
it,  most  of  all  from  speaking  of  it,  in  the  presence 
of  others,  because  we  do  not  want  to  reveal  our 
littleness  of  soul  and  narrowness  of  spirit.  This 
is  the  joy  of  the  miser,  who  finds  his  only  happiness 
in  hoarding  his  gold  and  in  counting  over  his  grow- 
ing pile  of  doubloons.  Wedded  to  his  gold,  he 
becomes  like  it.  His  heart  grows  hard,  his  face 
like  that  of  an  animal  suffering  at  all  times  from 
the  gnawings  of  an  insatiable  appetite;  his  hands 
work  nervously  as    though   they  are    anxious   to 


THE  JOY  OF  JOYS  113 

close  around  the  object  of  their  desire,  which  as 
yet  they  have  failed  to  clutch — in  short,  the  man 
becomes  hardened,  scarcely  worthy  any  longer 
to  be  called  a  man,  and  you  would  almost  be  pre- 
pared, should  you  touch  him,  to  hear  a  metallic 
ring  in  answer  to  your  contact.  Though  such  a 
life  may  have  its  joys,  we  cannot  refrain  from  a 
breathing  forth  of  the  fervent  prayer:  *'From  all 
such  sordid  joys,  good  Lord,  deliver  usl" 

With  our  way  thus  prepared  and  made  plain 
before  us,  we  are  ready  to  advance  to  the  con- 
sideration of  the  question:  "The  joy  of  joys," 
what  is  it?  It  is  not  the  joy  of  receiving.  It  is 
not  the  joy  of  mere  possession.  It  is  the  joy  of 
giving.  This  is  the  something  more  blessed  still. 
To  receive  is  blessed.  To  give  is  more  blessed. 
The  child  comes  into  the  world.  It  receives  its 
very  life  from  its  parents.  Upon  it  they  lavish 
their  care.  Its  life  is  all  a  receiving.  Is  it  happy  .^ 
Is  its  life  full  of  joy.?  It  may  be,  and  doubtless 
must  be,  acknowledged  that  it  is  happy  as  far  as 
its  capacity  for  happiness  permits  it  to  be.  And 
that  is  just  the  point  at  which  I  am  aiming.  Its 
happiness,  its  joy,  is  of  a  low  order,  because  it  is 
able,  as  yet,  only  to  receive  and  not  to  give.  But 
in  the  development  of  a  child  there  comes  a  day 
when  it  begins  to  feel  the  tenderness  in  its  mother's 
embrace;  when  it  begins  to  understand  the  love 
that  prompts  her  unceasing  care,  which  throbs  in 
every  tone  of  her  voice,  which  beams  in  every 
elancc  of  lier  eve.     Her  embrace  is  answered  bv 


114  THE  COMPASS 

the  tender  clinging  of  baby  hands  that  will  not 
let  go,  even  in  their  owner's  sleep.  The  caressing 
word  or  the  soothing  lullaby  is  answered  with  a 
coo  of  delight  from  baby's  voice.  The  eye  that 
kindles  with  a  mother's  love,  as  it  looks  into  the 
face  of  its  own,  meets  there  a  smile  as  sweet  as 
ever  shone  upon  cherubic  face,  a  little  glimpse  of 
heaven.  Is  the  child  more  happy.?  Who  can 
doubt  it?  And  why  is  it  so?  Because  it  has 
passed  beyond  the  stage  where  life  is  all  receiving, 
and  has  entered  into  that  where  it  is  able  also  to 
give. 

The  child  grows  up  into  boyhood  and  youth. 
As  he  increases  in  stature  there  grows  along  with 
his  body  the  sense  of  his  obligation  to  repay,  to 
some  extent,  all  that  he  has  cost  to  them  who 
love  him  most.  Day  by  day  he  does  more  willing- 
ly the  tasks  that  are  set  for  him.  At  first  they 
seem  burdensome;  but  little  by  little  they  become 
less  so,  as  the  spirit  of  giving  grows,  until  there 
comes  a  day  when  he  finds  a  real  pleasure  in  giving 
his  young  strength  and  his  time  to  serve  those 
whom  he  loves.  Then  there  comes  an  eventful 
day  in  his  history.  The  holiday  season  is  at  hand. 
There  is  a  long-coveted  article,  which  has  been 
promised  him,  and  the  possession  of  which  alone 
seems  necessary  to  make  his  happiness  complete. 
For  weeks  he  has  seen  it  in  the  shop  window,  and 
finally,  his  pleadings  have  prevailed,  and  he  is  to 
have  it  for  his  own.  On  a  clear,  cold  morning 
his  mother  calls  him  to  her  and  places  in  his  hand 


THE  JOY  OF  JOYS  115 

the  money  necessary  for  the  purchase.  He  starts 
down  street  with  a  jubilant  heart  and  a  buoyant 
step.  But  as  he  passes  along,  something  in  the 
window  of  another  shop  causes  him  to  stop.  For 
a  moment  he  looks  at  it,  and  then  passes  on.  But 
the  step  is  more  slow  than  before.  The  face  is 
more  serious  and  less  jubilant.  The  pleasure 
seems  to  have  been  somehow  extracted  from  the 
errand  on  which  he  was  going.  Slower  and  slower 
grows  the  pace.  More  and  more  serious  grows 
the  face.  Finally,  he  stops,  turns  around,  and 
begins  to  retrace  his  steps.  It  is  evident  to  all 
who  see  him  that  there  is  a  struggle  going  on  in  his 
mind.  Gradually,  however,  the  face  brightens, 
the  step  quickens,  and  he  finds  himself  before  the 
shop  where  his  attention  had  been  arrested  on  the 
downward  way.  There  is  no  hesitation  now. 
With  unrestrained  eagerness  he  asks  for  and  ob- 
tains that  which  he  desires.  Then,  with  empty 
purse  and  a  light  and  happy  heart,  he  goes  on  his 
homeward  way.  As  he  passes  along,  he  is  more 
quiet  than  before;  but  the  brightness  of  his  face, 
and  the  eye  that  is  so  full  that  it  seems  almost  at 
the  point  of  overflow,  do  not  tell  of  a  sorrowing 
heart,  but  rather  of  one  that  is  too  full  of  joy  for 
expression.  He  reaches  his  home,  first  of  all,  to 
seek  out  his  mother  and  to  place  in  her  hands  the 
purchase  which  he  had  made.  She  says  not  a 
word,  because  she  could  not;  but  her  eyes  fill  with 
tears,  and,  with  a  swelling  heart,  she  places  her 
arms  about  his  neck  and  kisses  him.     There  was 


ii6  THE  COMPASS 

no  need  to  tell  the  story.  The  son  had  denied 
himself  of  that  which  he  most  fondly  desired  for 
the  sake  of  the  mother  whom  he  loved. 

The  old  routine  of  duties  began  again;  but  not 
as  before.  The  holiday  season  passed  away,  and 
the  boy  was  compelled  to  abstain  from  many  of 
the  pleasures  of  his  playmates,  because  of  the  act 
which  he  had  done.  Yet,  in  spite  of  it  all,  they 
were  the  happiest  days  which  he  had  ever  known, 
and  his  cup  of  joy  was  full  as  he  heard  the  before 
silent  voice  of  his  mother  singing  to  herself  as  she 
busied  herself  about  the  duties  of  the  household. 
He  had  learned  that  it  is  more  blessed  to  give  than 
to  receive.  To  him  it  would  be  no  strange  mes- 
sage to  proclaim:  "The  joy  of  joys  is  to  increase 
the  joys  of  others. " 

This  is  the  joy  that  comes  to  possess  the  soul 
of  every  man  who  does  noble  and  faithful  work 
for  the  uplifting  of  fallen  humanity.  This  is  the 
joy  of  the  Christian  who  daily  takes  up  his  cross 
and  follows  Jesus,  in  his  deeds  of  kindness  and 
words  of  love,  doing  the  works  of  the  Christ. 
This  is  the  joy  of  the  minister  of  the  Gospel,  who, 
denying  himself  the  possibility  of  wealth,  or  ease, 
or  worldly  preferment,  voluntarily  gives  his  life 
to  his  fellowmen,  in  order  that,  by  living  among 
them,  and  by  holding  ever  before  their  minds  high 
ideals  of  life  and  of  character  he  may  win  them 
from  the  life  of  the  flesh  and  of  the  world  to  that 
higher,  nobler,  fuller  life — the  life  that  is  hid  with 
Christ  in  God.     This  is  the  joy  of  the  missionary 


THE  JOY  OF  JOYS  117 

of  the  cross,  who,  leaving  behind  home  and  kindred 
and  native  land,  and  taking  with  him  nothing  but 
his  God  and  his  love  for  his  human  brothers,  goes 
forth  into  the  dark  places  of  the  earth,  to  let  his 
light  shine,  to  bring  freedom  for  bondage  and 
hope  for  despair.  Yes,  and  this  was  the  very  joy 
of  the  Christ,  who,  *'for  the  joy  that  was  set  before 
him,  endured  the  cross,  despising  the  shame,  and 
is  now  set  down  at  the  right  hand  of  the  throne  of 
God." 

Will  you  live  this  life  of  joy?  Is  it  not  the 
dearest  dream  of  your  life  so  to  live:  so  to  live 
forever?  Beloved,  it  is  your  privilege.  Will  you 
rise  to  it?  I  pray  God  that  you  may.  Then,  and 
not  till  then,  will  you  understand  what  it  really 
means  to  be  a  Christian.  "Fulfill  ye  my  joy!" 
Yes,  but  how?  Ah,  give  yourself  to  the  world! 
Serve  your  fellow  men!  Bless  those  whose  lives 
know  no  light,  no  happiness,  no  true  joy.  Prove 
to  yourself,  in  the  depth  and  wealth  of  your  own 
experience,  *'The  joy  of  joys  is  to  increase  the 
joys  of  others!" 


IX 

The  Christmas  Star 

^^  Now  when  Jesus  was  born  in  Bethlehem  of  Judea,  in 
the  days  of  Herod  the  King,  behold  there  came  wise  men 
from  the  east  to  Jerusalem,  saying  where  is  he  that  is 
born  King  of  the  Jews?  for  we  have  seen  his  star  in  the 
east,  and  are  come  to  worship  him.'' 

(saint  MATTHEW  2:2l) 

O'er  the  hills  of  old  Judea, 
Rose  and  shone  a  wondrous  star; 
Shone  in  splendor  unsurpassed, 
Shedding  radiance  wide  and  far. 

Spirits  rare,  of  many  nations, 
For  this  star  had  waited  long; 
For  it  was  the  promised  token 
Of  the  king  who  was  to  come. 

On  this  king  the  expectation 

Of  full  many  peoples  dwelt. 

He  should  bring  the  promised  freedom 

From  long  bondage,  sorely  felt. 

From  far  eastern  land  of  India, 
Persia's  plains  and  Greece's  shore. 
Came  the  wise  men  with  frankincense. 
Myrrh  and  gold,  their  priceless  store. 
Ii8 


THE  CHRISTMAS   STAR  119 

At  the  royal  feet  they  poured  them, 
Glad  they  could  rich  offerings  bring; 
And  they  knelt  in  humble  worship 
To  the  child  who  was  a  king. 

King  of  heaven,  king  of  glory, 
Was  this  little,  helpless  child; 
King  of  love,  by  God's  power  coming 
To  the  virgin  meek  and  mild. 

Prophets  had  his  birth  forespoken. 
Angels  joined  to  sing  its  praise; 
Glory  in  the  highest,  glory, 
Peace,  good  will  toward  men  always. 

Shepherds  in  the  fields  abiding 
Heard  the  song  and  saw  the  choir. 
As  the  joy  of  heaven  overflowing 
Stirred  and  filled  the  wondering  air. 

Flocks  and  dangers  all  forgotten, 
Joying  in  God's  promise  old, 
They  to  Bethlehem  hasten,  wondering 
At  the  tale  the  angels  told. 

In  the  inn's  rough,  lowly  stable. 
While  the  cattle  round  him  fed, 
There  they  found  the  king  of  heaven, 
With  a  manger  for  His  bed. 


I20  THE  COMPASS  : 

I 

i 

As  the  wise  men,  so  the  shepherds  , 

Knelt  in  worship  at  His  feet,  ■ 

Showing  how  the  high  and  lowly  ] 

In  His  love  as  brothers  meet.  ■ 

By  the  Spirit,  in  the  temple,  j 

Simeon  saw  and  knew  his  Lord,  | 

And  his  glad  soul  blessed  Jehovah  ] 

For  the  keeping  of  His  word.  I 


Anna,  prophetess  of  Asher, 
In  His  coming  saw  fulfilled 
Israel's  hope  of  glad  redemption. 
And  her  cup  of  joy  was  filled. 

Even  so,  through  all  the  ages 
Since  the  star  of  Bethlehem  shone, 
Have  the  men  of  every  nation. 
Blessed  the  King  who  left  His  throne — 

Left  His  throne  by  love's  pure  promptings 
lliat  He  might  salvation  bring 
To  the  sin-cursed  brothers,  sisters 
Of  the  Son  of  Heaven's  King. 

By  His  coming  entered  blessing 
To  a  world  that  knew  it  not; 
Struggling  up,  but  ever  falling 
By  the  arch-fiend's  clever  plot. 


THE   CHRISTMAS   STAR  121 

Life  and  hope  by  Him  implanted 

In  the  hearts  that  in  Him  trust, 

Bring,  have  brought,  faith's  glorious  vic'try, 

Proving  God  could  love,  be  just. 

Here  the  soul  by  sin  dyed  crimson 
Found  its  sin-curse  washed  away. 
And  the  peace  that  passeth  knowledge 
Came  to  be  its  strength  and  stay. 

Here  man  finds  his  full  endowment 
For  the  best  to  live  and  bear ! 
God's  in  birth  means  God's  in  living! 
Son  must  Father's  likeness  wear! 

Here  has  come,  in  turn,  to  woman, 
Freedom  from  the  shameful  past. 
She,  no  longer  slave  and  chattel, 
Stands  man's  equal,  now  at  last. 

Here  have  come  to  little  children 
Honors  born  not  of  the  earth ! 
Theirs,  says  He,  the  heavenly  kingdom. 
E'en  as  theirs  the  heavenly  birth. 

Here  it  is  the  sick  and  suifering 
Find  release  from  all  their  pain. 
Here  the  eyes  that  sin  had  blinded, 
Joy  to  see  the  light  again. 


122  THE   COMPASS 

Here  it  Is  that  they  who  sorrow 
Hear  sweet  comfort  whispered  low; 
Speaks  a  voice  as  never  man  spake, 
Lfting  every  weight  of  woe. 

Nations  great,  that  wait  in  darkness. 
Praying  hope's  good  day  to  dawn, 
Hear  the  message  of  the  Gospel 
And,  with  face  alight,  fare  on ! 

Heart  of  man,  however  burdened, 
Here  finds  burdens  rolled  away. 
By  the  world's  great  burden-bearer; 
And  its  strength  made  as  its  day. 

Christ  Is  come!     The  angels  sang  it! 
Christ  is  come,  the  shepherds  tell! 
Christ  is  come,  cried  saint  and  prophet! 
Christ  is  come!     In  God's  world,  well! 

Christ  is  come,  divine  revealer 

Of  the  heart  of  God  to  man ! 

That  God's  son  might  know  his  Father! 

Sin's  abyss  to  overspan. 

Christ  is  come,  the  world's  redeemer! 
Friend  of  man,  and  brother,  too — 
Come  to  pay  the  price  of  ransom — 
Come,  man's  soul  to  love  and  woo! 


THE  CHRISTMAS   STAR  123          '■ 

Welcome  Him,  ye  heavy-hearted! 

Welcome  Him,  ye  children  dear! 

Welcome  Him,  whatever  your  burden!  i 

See,  He  standeth  waiting,  near!  j 

Christ,  no  more  the  helpless  Baby,  1 

But  the  King  from  off  His  throne!  I 

In  His  hands  and  side  are  wound-prints,  | 

And  He  comes  to  claim  His  own.  j 

i 
i 

If  in  love  you  bid  Him  welcome,  j 

As  His  message  soundeth  clear,  1 

Christmas  peace  and  Christmas  blessing  j 

Shall  be  yours  through  all  the  year.  1 


X 

Easter  Joy 

"Ottr  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ,  who  hath  abolished  death, 
and  brought  life  and  immortality  to  light  through  the 
Gosper' 

•    (saint  PAUL,  II  Timothy  i  :io) 

'Twas  a  gladsome  spring-time  morning, 
In  the  city  'mid  the  hills; 
David's  city,  mountain  girdled, 
Like  a  gem  in  royal  setting, 
Which  the  heart  with  joy  enthrills. 

But  there  was  no  joy  of  spring-time 
In  this  city  fair  and  bright. 
Some  there  were  in  whose  hearts  rankled 
Vain  remorse  for  deed  unholy; 
Hatred  with  its  scorching  blight. 

Others,  still,  their  hope  had  followed 
To  their  Master's  lonely  tomb; 
Where  in  dark  despair  they  laid  Him, 
Who  should  have  redeemed  their  Israel 
From  its  threatened,  awful  doom. 

124 


EASTER  JOY  125 

Some  have  fled  away,  to  hide  them 

From  the  sharing  of  His  fate. 

Some,  with  stronger  hearts  of  courage. 

Seeking  for  their  love  expression,  ' 

For  the  First  Day  morning  wait. 

To  the  tomb  without  the  city. 

At  the  breaking  of  the  day, 

Haste  these  tender,  loving  women  1 

That  they  might  embalm  His  body;  \ 

Fend  the  waste  of  death  away.  ■ 

I 

Rich  and  sweet  as  was  their  heart's  love 

Were  the  spices  that  they  bring. 

Since  His  heart  was  still  and  pulseless, 

Cherish  they  His  lifeless  body,  j 

Whom  their  love  had  crowned  their  King.  ' 

But  they  recked  not  of  the  wonders 

That  their  eyes  should  there  behold!  j 

For  the  tomb,  rock-sealed,  was  open;  j 

The  sarcophagus  was  empty;  ] 

Death  its  victim  could  not  hold.  i 

In  the  tomb,  two  radiant  angels 
Guard  the  place  in  which  he  laid. 
"Seek  ye  Jesus?"  said  they  kindly; 
"He  is  not  here,"  "He  is  risen!" 
"Ye  shall  see  Him  as  He  said." 


126  THE  COMPASS 

From  the  tomb  they  hasten,  wondering 
At  the  strange  things  they  had  heard. 
Haste  to  find  the  true  disciples; 
Haste  to  tell  the  angels'  message 
Of  their  Master's  own  pledged  word. 

But  they  leave  behind  them,  weeping, 
Mary  who  had  lost  her  Lord. 
There  she  stood,  her  heart  near  breaking. 
Facing  the  dark,  hopeless  future; 
Naught  of  good  it  could  afford. 

But  the  Master  who  had  saved  her, 
Could  not  leave  her  thus  forlorn! 
Comes  behind  her,  calls  her  Mary; 
Turns  her  sorrow  into  rapture; 
Turns  her  dark  to  radiant  morn. 


Even  so  the  other  women,  \ 
As  they  hurry  cityward. 

See  a  form  they  love  approaching;  ; 

And,  amazed,  fall  down  and  worship  \ 
At  the  feet  of  their  dear  Lord. 

So,  to  Peter,  the  denier,  ] 

E'er  this  mighty  day  was  done,  ] 

Came  the  vision  of  the  Master,  ] 

Taught  him  he  was  not  forgotten,  j 

Gave  him  strength  to  fight,  fight  on !  j 


EASTER  JOY  127 

Came  He  thus  to  staid  Cleopas, 
And  his  fellow  in  the  way! 
Made  their  hearts  to  burn  within  them, 
Blessed  them  as  the  bread  was  broken, 
Nerved  them  their  full  part  to  play. 

With  the  coming  of  the  even. 
In  the  room  in  which  they  share. 
Stands  He  suddenly  among  them, 
Speaks  His  benison  upon  them, 
Leaves  them  rapt,  triumphant  there. 

Day  of  marvels!     Day  of  wonders! 
Glorious  Resurrection  Day! 
Day  of  dead  hope  new  upspringing, 
Christ's  new  peace  to  men's  hearts  bringing, 
Bidding  care  and  fear  away! 

Light  is  victor  over  darkness, 

Joy  is  mightier  than  pain; 

Men  from  fear  of  death  have  freedom, 

Dread  no  more  the  veiled  future, 

Since  Christ  died  and  rose  again. 

This,  the  capstone  of  Christ's  mission. 
We  today  here  celebrate. 
We  believe  not  in  a  dead  Christ, 
Who  must  bow  His  knee  to  greater! 
He's  our  living  Potentate. 


128  THE   COMPASS 

This,  the  faith  of  the  Apostles, 
When  the  Church  was  but  new  born! 
With  this  weapon  shook  they  empires, 
Toppled  thrones,  and  threw  down  tyrants, 
Who  were  of  their  power  shorn! 

This,  the  faith  of  all  the  ages 
Of  the  Church  from  then  till  now! 
It  has  nerved  the  hearts  of  martyrs, 
Sent  the  herald  on  his  mission. 
Held  each  true  to  sacred  vow. 

This,  our  faith,  who  here  assemble 
On  this  gorious  Easter  morn! 
Gladdest  message  of  the  Gospel, 
That  just  overflows  with  gladness! 
Christ  the  victor's  wreath  has  worn! 

So,  as  on  this  gladsome  morning. 
Here  we  meet  to  sound  his  praise. 
Who  in  heaven's  throne  is  reigning; 
Lord  of  Death,  and  Life,  we'll  crown  him 
In  our  hearts  and  love  always. 

And,  as  on  life's  ways  we're  faring, 
Bearing  loads  that  heavy  press, 
We  will  wait  with  loving  patience, 
Trusting  in  his  care  and  wisdom. 
Till  his  voice  shall  bid  us — rest! 


EASTER  JOY  129 

And,  when  into  rest  weVe  entered, 
PVom  the  tasks  that  fret  us  sore. 
We  shall  share  with  him  the  glory. 
Which  for  us  has  been  preparing, 
On  that  fair,  immortal  shore! 


Sure  Foundations 

I  know  that  I  am  I. 
No  art  of  man's  philosophy 
Shall  rob  me  of  my  sovereign  will. 
I  am  a  man,  and  master  of  my  fate. 

I  know  that  God  is  God. 

The  starry  firmament  profound, 

The  ordered  universe  around, 

Their  Master,  wise,  all-powerful  await. 

I  know  that  God  is  good. 
The  sweet  revealings  of  the  Father's  love, 
In  care  and  guidance  from  above. 
Proclaim  Him  near  in  cloud  and  sun. 

I  know  that  God  is  love. 
The  witness  of  the  Spirit's  voice 
In  heart  and  mind,  bid  me  rejoice 
Because  He  speaks  to  me,  His  son. 


I30  THE  COMPASS 

I  know  that  Christ  is  king. 

To  me  He  gave  His  mighty  all ! 

For  me  He  gave  His  glorious  all! 

With  right  He  claims  my  full  obedience. 

I  know  that  life  is  real. 
Not  senseless  flittings  of  the  butterfly; 
But  purpose  fine,  the  endeavor  high, 
Become  one  of  my  high  allegiance. 

Let  this  my  purpose  be! 

To  live  for  Him  in  pure  endeavor, 

In  this  world's  life,  aye,  and  forever! 

E'en  thus  love's  debt  of  gratitude  I'll  pay! 


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